No Time But Now
by J.Noseworthy
Summary: Dragons Among Serpents Universe: 4 years before the Epilogue. Ever wondered how Draco and Ryuu got engaged? It's not nearly as simple as you expect. (4 chapter short story - Crack Fiction - Not the Sequel)
1. Chapter 1 - Princess

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter.'

A/N: Greetings once again, fellow nose-bearers! It's been a while. Just a heads up before you get too excited. _This is not the sequel. _I repeat; NOT THE SEQUEL. This is a four chapter short story set in the DAS universe that I wrote up for fun – I'd actually written the first chapter over a year ago and found it recently, so I then decided to continue with the story. Basically I just had this idea in my head and thought I'd put it into words for you guys. Man, it's good to be writing these characters again…

I should probably tell anyone waiting in anticipation for the sequel: it's going to be a long wait. I know, shoot me, but I barely have anything at the moment and I know for a fact I'm not going to have much time to work on a huge story like that for a while.

So, in the meantime – enjoy 'No Time But Now!' Really this was just a bit of fun, it was kind of refreshing to write something that didn't emotionally tear me up inside.

J. Noseworthy.

BETA: Reeah Noseworthy.

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No Time But Now (Featuring Clive)

By J . Noseworthy

Chapter 1 - Princess

Ryuu

I took a deep breath as the Minister's deep sonorous voice echoed around the auditorium. _This is it_. I felt a flutter of nerves butterfly in my chest, but quickly disregarded it. I'd been meticulously preparing and preening myself for this moment for the past three days, there was no way I was going to mess it up now. Rearranging my facial features, I carefully slid a stray blonde curl behind my ear and tuned back into what Kingsley Shacklebolt was saying.

"Although the bad news of Parcium Harper's retirement from the Curse Maker Department has personally affected us all," the Minister began, "when one door closes another is given the chance to open." His liquid black eyes flickered over to where I was sitting and I allowed a small smirk. "Please let me introduce you to our new Head of the Department of Curses, the lovely Miss Ryuu Veil."

My smirk easily morphed into a modest smile as I stood and approached the stage. I'd just begun to ascend the stairs when my thumb habitually slid over the base of my forefinger to feel the cool reassuring silver of the serpent ring – but instead it was met with skin. For a millisecond my step faltered. _My ring is gone. How could it be gone? _Hesitantly, I continued pace, mind whizzing. _Oh God I've lost it. No – wait. Just before, that man must have stolen it… _I stepped onto the lit stage. _Copper must have it now, I'll find it afterwards. _And with that I shook the faltering moment from my head. No point stressing now.

A polite applause flowed through the chamber as seven dozen people watched me shake hands with the Minister and step up to the podium. Cameras from the back of the auditorium flashed randomly like lightning as I began to speak. "Thank you, Minister Shacklebolt. I am flattered by your words." I levelled my gaze with the audience. "And good afternoon to you all. As some of you may know, or presumed, I am Ryuu Veil."

A murmur jumped throughout the crowd like a grasshopper, but I pretended that I couldn't hear the snatches of phrase such as: 'General' and 'Slave's Revolt'. I turned my attention back to the task.

"I'd also like to thank Mr Harper who has been a brilliant mentor to me since I began working here in the Theoretical Magical Construction Level." I shared a knowing look with Parcium, who sat in the front row; stern lined face creaked into what could've been a smile. On my first day on the job, he'd taken an instant warmth to my nerve at challenging his methods and had adopted me as his favourite within the first two hours. It was a bias that we both acknowledged and followed through with despite the unfairness.

"My time in the Curse Maker Department has greatly reinforced my skills and opportunities. I look forward to initiating this new role, and will persevere to do the best for my office." I noticed a few smiles from my co-workers to the left of the chamber. We were only a small department of the Theoretical Magical Construction Level, numbering only six people in total. However, in the past year since I'd joined, our reputation had boomed and we were considered by many to be one of the most prestigious divisions in the Ministry.

"I will try to orientate the CMD towards its main priorities;" I continue calmly, allowing a small smile, "the protection of the Ministry and all wizards and witches in the UK, the pursuit of knowledge in the discovery and creation of new magic and the continued outshining of the Curse Breaker Department." I smirked at Ron as laughter coursed through the crowd. He crossed his arms over his chest and chimed in with a sarcastic: _"Ha-ha…"_

I waited until the amusement dissipated before continuing. "On a more serious note, I do intend to create an organised working environment, with an admirable nature of sophistication and sincerity-"

At that very moment the large doors at the back of the auditorium flew open and Draco stumbled through them, wearing a sharp suit that was drenched from head to toe. His eyes darted around like a startled rabbit's before meeting with my own. He grinned boyishly.

"Oh, there you are, Ryuu. Quick," he spread his arms wide in self-display, "what do you think of this suit?"

I imagined that I resembled something close to a dumbstruck goldfish. My mouth opened and closed obscenely, unable to form the appropriate exclamations, as I stared at him – my mind still registering the fact that Draco was here; and I was onstage and Draco was here, with _everybody_ watching.

He jogged through the crowd, dodging around seats as he went. Murmurs broke out again, except this time I caught words like: "What?" and "joking…" People leaned out of the way of Draco's sopping wet suit, as he scrambled over one of the chairs in the front row. I felt myself flushing horrendously as he skipped up the creaky wooden steps and onto the stage, giving a brief nod to the audience as he approached me.

"May I have a word?" he asked with complete colloquial calm, silver eyes gleaming.

I stared at him, incredulous. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" I hissed, gesturing towards the audience, who had gone painfully silent.

Draco stared at me, puzzled, before realisation seemed to dawn on him and he gracefully turned on his heel to face the audience. "Sorry everyone," he began in a clear, presenting voice. "How rude of me. I am Draco Malfoy, owner of Malfoy Industries and representative of the First Families," he articulated eloquently. "And I was simply hoping for a brief word with Miss Veil here-"

"-Oh, curse you!" My tone was threatening at increasing volume as I stormed over to him and glared at him, my eyes green fire. I grabbed onto his wrist, but Draco twisted his hand around to lace his fingers through my own. "What are you _doing_ here?" I spat, "I thought you had a meeting in Germany!" I frowned at his appearance. "And _why_ are you so wet?!"

Draco sighed. "You always have to know all of the details before you can accept anything don't you?" A smirk crept across his mouth. "It ruins the element of surprise."

I scoffed, quivering with nervous-raging-going-to-hex-him energy. "Well you've ruined the element of…" I searched for a word, "Decency! And- social normality! And _my_ trust!"

Draco rolled his eyes as if we were disagreeing over a minor nuance. "Easy now Princess-"

"-Do _not _call me that!" I snapped, before lowering my tone to a dangerous pitch. The anticipation of the auditorium hung around us like thick, judgemental drapes. "Do you have any perception of patience? Another thirty seconds and I would've been out the door, where you can embarrass me outside of the view of the Minister, my boss, my _employees_ and _Ron!"_ I felt my fingers itch for my wand. "But no, of course not. You just have to _barge_ in here, _unexplained-"_

"Marry me."

"-and cause a huge scene because-"I stopped, staring at Draco as he stared calmly back. My throat felt dry as I replayed the last three seconds in my head. After a moment, I managed to whisper. _"What?"_

Draco smiled, holding my hand tighter and assumed a voice that could've been mentioning the weather. "Marry me."

I suddenly lost interest in the fact that every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on our little spotlighted scene. _Marry me._ He'd said it so simply. So easily. It was almost cruel how I was the only one who appeared shocked. I felt my heart rate accelerate until it was beating in my ears and then felt a million other things in the span of eight milliseconds. I realised I must be in fish-state again so quickly tried to say words. Any words. "Wh-_what?"_

Draco stepped closer and spoke quieter, but his voice still carried across the auditorium. "Do you have no perception of patience? Another thirty seconds and I would've been down on one knee and everything."

I blinked a few times to clear my head and then spluttered again. "So- you… _what?!_ No- _wait…"_I bit down on my lip, my mind processing the information one frame at a time. "This is completely insane." I whispered.

Draco laughed and I reddened. "Am I going to get an answer?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Well, yes of course – you maddened prick!" I yelled, and before I could continue on my tirade, Draco pulled me close and kissed me like there wasn't seven dozen people watching. I flung my arms around his neck and leaned into him, soaking up the feel of him, along with the water drenching his clothes. His hands wrapped around my waist and for a long time we remained that way, hearts pounding frantically.

Then my eyes opened and flickered towards the audience watching opened-mouthed. An encompassing quiet erupted throughout the space as I softly disengaged myself from Draco's hold and walked calmly up to the podium, straightening my soaked and now see-through white blouse. The cameras clicked and flashed wildly as I cleared my throat and adopted a calm, mannered tone.

"Thank you all for you decision on granting me this position." I said, blushing. "I can assure you that you won't regret it."

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A/N: Well, that was spontaneous. It doesn't end here… ;)


	2. Chapter 2 - Prince

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter.'

A/N: So, here's the beginning of the explanation. Here, we go back to four hours earlier and start to discover what exactly the hell happened. Also, you get to meet Clive, who frankly I consider to be my spirit animal. Also, Henri, Felicity and Dominic are all original characters of mine. Enjoy!

BETA: Reeah Noseworthy.

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Chapter 2 - Prince

Draco

_Four Hours Earlier_

The clock on the mantle ticked rhythmically as I stared blankly down at the complete business proposal written on the parchment before me and sighed. It was only three thirty and already I was exhausted. The afternoon sun had begun to wane in the sky. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, allowing my mind to rest. But, as Ryuu often said, no rest for the wicked.

And thus the doubt began.

In precisely twenty four days from now I would propose to her. I'd already organised accommodation in Paris, and hired the best string quartet in the city to play privately at a candlelit dinner in the park where we had our first official date. Cat Dancers from Egypt were arranged to perform during dessert, and then while we drink the finest bottle of Moonlight Champagne, I would ask her. And she would say yes. Surely she'll say yes.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the roof, mind gnawing at me. I'd been prepared to marry Ryuu for quite some time now, really almost immediately after the war had ended. I'd wanted to make the commitment final, she was my only family and I was ready. But I'd sensed that although Ryuu felt the same, she wasn't looking for marriage straight away. And that's why we'd travelled, I think the freedom of being able to move from country to country had reminded her, one step at a time, that she was free now; that she could do whatever she wanted. And maybe I'd needed that too.

But I still wasn't certain if she wanted to get married now. I'd brought it up a few times, and each time she hadn't disagreed, but she'd been vague. _But,_ I reasoned, _she was quite willing to marry me six years ago in the Hospital Wing… _I winced. That had just been a spur of the moment, desperate attempt to keep me out of jail, not really the romantic reassurance I was looking for.

I knew that Ryuu loved me. Of course I knew, she said it to me every day just the same as I did to her – just in case. Being physically separated from her for long periods of time – or even on a four day business trip like this one – was draining. A bit pathetic to admit, but true. I mean really, was it just too much to ask that Ryuu just be my wife already? Was it wrong of me to want us to share a name and a home and a life and maybe one day a child? Because I sensed that maybe a part of her still seemed hesitant, and I wasn't completely sure why.

The chair creaked as I stood and walked over to the window, looking down at the calm canal. It didn't matter; I was still going to propose. All I had to do was wait for the ring to arrive, which would be in nine days, and ask Mr Veil's permission, which admittedly I had been putting off to postpone the awkward sincerity he and I mutually have for each other. _And she will say yes._

_Surely._

There was a knock and I reluctantly slid back into reality. "Come in."

Through the door entered the impeccably dressed six-foot-two form of Clive, carrying a tray laden with a porcelain teapot and cup. Clive wore thin-framed rectangular spectacles that bridged over his pointy nose, boxing his disinterested light blue eyes. His bald head highly extenuated the unusual point of his left ear, a physical feature which went well with Clive's rare and crooked tight-lipped smiles. As was his custom, Clive's appearance was immaculate, down to the last polished silver button on his midnight black tailcoat. He calmly paced across to the desk and began to unload the tray. "You're three thirty four pm tea, Sir." Clive's droning tone of condescension wasn't mastery but a natural born gift.

I couldn't have asked for a better personal assistant.

"Perfect timing as always, Clive." I said as I picked up the freshly poured tea and took a sip. Clive's gloved hand held out an envelope. "What's this?' I asked.

"A letter from Mr Potter, Sir. It arrived at three twenty seven."

"Do I want to read it?"

"That is a matter up for debate, Sir," Clive responded, narrowing his gaze in time with his patience. "Perhaps the message is one of ill news."

I smirked and sipped at my tea again. The weak German sunlight briefly subdued and I moved over the window to watch the thick grey clouds waft across the sun. "Very well then. Read it out to me."

I heard the envelope being torn open with one practised rip, and then Clive's low tone resonated around the room. "To Malfoy. I know you must be busy in Germany at the moment, but I need a favour-"

"-Is that so, Potter?" I interrupted with a grin, looking back at Clive, whose eyes were still lowered to the parchment.

My assistant continued. "And wipe the smirk off your face Malfoy; I know you must be loving this. For once I need you to take something seriously. I haven't been able to contact Ryuu because she's cut off all communications because she's preparing for her big speech today. I need you to ask her if she can reserve a table at Jonah's restaurant for me tonight. I have something planned and it's extremely important."

"Does he think me his errand boy?" I interjected, and tipped the last mouthful of tea down my throat, annoyed at Potter's arrogance.

Clive paused for a second, sighed and continued reading with an expression of upmost disdain. "You see, tonight at eight o' clock I'm going to propose to Ginny-"

Tea spurted from my mouth and I gagged on the dregs clogged in the back of my throat. As I spluttered and coughed, Clive causally flicked a handkerchief from his sleeve and passed it to me, continuing to read the letter as I hastily dabbed at my chin. "I sent a reservation request about a week ago, but I just wanted to be sure. Plus, I had an idea for having the ring come with the desert. So please, contact Ryuu. And do not tell anyone about this. Seriously Malfoy I will hex you if you even hint. From Harry."

Using _Aguamenti,_ I cast water into my mouth to clear my choked throat of tea and hurried over to the far wall. "Sir, may I ask what you are doing?" Clive said as I flung a travelling cloak over my shoulders.

"I can't have this Clive," I began in a rave, "If Potter and Weasliette get engaged tonight, it will completely ruin my proposal to Ryuu!"

Clive instantly caught the now tea-stained handkerchief I threw at him and folded it neatly before swiftly returning it to his sleeve. "Sir, your proposal is twenty four days, seven hours and two minutes from now. I'm sure the excitement of Potter's engagement would have dissipated by that time."

I fixed the tall man in my startled, wide eyed gaze. "You have no idea what they're like Clive. The Weasleys and the Potters. The celebrations will last months. And then there'll be the suggestions. Oh Lord." I paused, frozen in place. "A double wedding. If I propose to Ryuu after tonight, they're going to want a double wedding!" I flipped out my wand and raced across to my desk, then stopped, not knowing what I was doing there. "No, I won't let it happen. I mustn't let them win," I murmured, then looked up at my assistant. "We mustn't let them win Clive!"

He raised an eyebrow, expression utterly blank. "Sir, I believe my break began two minutes and eleven seconds ago."

"No time for that. We have to go now." The clock on the mantle seemed to be ticking faster than ever. "I have to see Ryuu right now. I have to propose _now._" My fingers tapped on the side of my trousers nervously and my toes scrunched up inside my shoes. I hadn't felt this terrified in a long time, but it was a good kind of scared – a kind of bubbling nervous energy convincing me my instincts were right.

I knew Clive sensed my urgency, and could see he was finding it increasingly difficult to dampen it. "Seeing as Miss Veil isn't in Malfoy Manor, Floo Networks or Portkeys to the London Ministry would take an ample amount of time to arrange-"

"-So we'll apparate. I can figure out a route-"

"-In addition, Sir," Clive continued calmly, strolling over to the tea tray and vanishing it with a wave of his wand, "your meeting with the Berlin representatives for Malfoy Industries commences in one hour, sixteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds-"

"-Postpone it, Clive. I don't have time for that. Arrange it for next Tuesday at two thirty in the afternoon." I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to arrange my wildly scattered thoughts. "Tell them: 'It is of my deepest regret that I have to cancel this meeting due to a spontaneous family emergency. Contact me for further details at eleven p. m tonight'."

Unflinchingly, Clive turned towards the window and raised his wand. A silver albatross glided swiftly through the glass and disappeared into Berlin's jumble of coarse stone architecture. For a moment I stared out at the cityscape, specifically at a mailbox on the street corner below, allowing my head to click through a checklist. _I'm going to propose to Ryuu; which means I need to think of what to say. I need to ask Mr Veil's permission. I need to get the ring-_

"The ring!" I yelled so suddenly that Clive nearly dropped his wand. I hurried over to him and stared directly at the glassy sheen of his glasses. "The ring, Clive! When is it due to arrive?"

His flat, light blue eyes blinked slowly. "Nine days, three hours and forty minutes from now." My mouth began to open in protest but Clive carried on in the same tone. "And no Sir, there is no way to speed up the process. I received a report from the Goblins in Africa at three past ten this morning. They only found the right diamonds last night."

"Curse it all!" I exclaimed, kicking over a mahogany lounge chair. I couldn't propose without a ring. And that ring was flawless. It had taken me many sleepless nights to design the perfect one. Ryuu didn't wear much jewellery at all, but if she was to be a Lady of Malfoy Manor, then she would have to have the perfect engagement ring. I faltered mid-step, mind whirling. _Lady of Malfoy Manor._ I hadn't taken the time for that thought to actually register. Ryuu, my loving wife, would become Lady Malfoy – an icon in the prestigious magical community of Britain, and even the globe. She was already well known enough as General Ryuu Veil, how would the public react to her marriage to a former Death Eater?

That is, if she even said yes.

"Sir, I suggest that you pull yourself together." Clive said, as if he'd read my mind.

I spun on my heel to face him, heart pounding quickly once more. "Yes. Alright. Okay. Alright, okay. Yes. We'll just have to get another ring." I babbled, moving to the centre of the room to stand beside the toppled lounge chair. "The best place for fine jewellery is Paris. Yes, Paris." It was often within the custom for the Malfoy family to purchase an engagement gift from our country of origin, to signify the joining of ancestry. "Clive, time update!"

"Three-thirty-nine, Sir." Clive had the uncanny ability of knowing the exact time without ever having to look at a clock.

I matched his stare, and lowered my tone. "Okay. We'll leave for Paris immediately. I trust you to decipher the most direct apparition route. Once in the city, we will have half an hour to find the perfect ring, and then its straight to London – are you with me, Clive?" I realised absently that I'd adopted the same manner with my personal assistant that I used to with Zabini and Reeah.

Clive carefully removed his spectacles with a swift movement of his right hand, swiped a clean white cloth over the lenses and safely deposited them into his front coat pocket. Then, he produced his arm and sighed audibly. "As you wish, Sir."

Before I could hesitate any longer, I gripped Clive's arm.

The two of us plunged through writhing, suffocating darkness for merely an instant, before I blinked and my eyes opened upon a view of sprawling countryside below. An icy gust of wind lashed my side before Clive took a confident step over the mountain's edge and we were consumed by the compressing void of apparition once more. I felt my limbs being pressed tightly at all angles, before stumbling onto an uneven surface. My foot tripped over an absurdly shaped metal bar and I fell against a convenient wall. Dizzily, I heard a clear disembodied voice proclaim: "_WormsBrückeBahnhof,stehenSie bittezurück," _before my ears elighted upon the more prominent sound of metal screeching against metal, and my feet felt an approaching rumbling. My head snapped to the left to see a muggle electric train approaching at substantial speed, then I felt my shoulder being squuezed tightly and my senses were dulled by the constricting black instant later, I was upon my knees on lush, green grass, quiet erupting in my eardrums – then it was the roaring suction sound of apparation travel. My entire body felt heavy and lagging – travel worn. _Nearly there, _I told myself. _Surely we're nearly there._But the dark disperision continued to wrap around me until-

-Sunshine. Air. Solid Ground. Falling onto that solid ground, hard. The smooth pass of those accursed metal boxes called _cars._ Staring at the squared pavement beneath my hands and feeling the sting of grazed skin on my palms.I breathed deeply, comforted by the feeling of oxygen in my lungs. I'd never apparated that far and that rapidly before – I could see why it wasn't advised.

Squinting at the brightness, I straightened, stepping unsteadily onto two feet. Clive stood a foot away, straight as a rod and leisurely cleaning his lenses with the same white cloth, before sliding them over the bridge of his nose in one practised movement. I winced as I took an unsteady step towards him, and a muggle man talking to himself stepped into my path. "Excuse you," I snarled, pushing him to the side and the man removed a metal box from hisear to stare at me in surprise. "Time update," I barked at Clive.

My personal assistant neatly tucked his golden fogwatch into his waistcoat pocket without openeing or looking at it. "Three-forty two p.m, Sir. An hour ahead of London."

"And where exactly in Paris are we?" I asked, eyes searching the reflective masses of _cars_and windows and cameras surrounding me, trying to make sense of the curving road before us.

"The Arc de Triomphe," Clive indicated over his shoulder and I turned to face the giant monument. The magnificnt stone arch towered over us, and I caught the menacing stare of the fierce angel looming down at me from my upper right. "I assume you know of it, Sir?"

"Know of it?" I replied with a small smirk, "The Chalgrin family is still paying us back for the design idea." My eyes glanced around the streets in search of familiarity. I knew of a place in Paris where I could possibly find a ring, but I wasn't completely certain of which direction it was in.

"Where to next Sir?" Clive opined, extending his arm.

I approached in a step and grasped his elbow. "The Boulevard Haussmann-" I began, before the world beneath my feet plummeted and flipped through darkness and I was suddenly standing so close to the edge of a street corner that a bus almost clipped me as it verred past. Clive had a knack for knowing where everything was, even if he'd never mentioned being there before. Dragging my tired feet across the cement I turned to face the sprawling street, lined by the tall apartment buildings either side. People bustled here and there, too busy with their own pathetic excuses for lives to regard a sense of personal space towards others. Open doors dotted the sidewalk borders, with eager shop owners flaunting their wares in the windows to passers-by. And yet still more cars clunked down the busy road, blasting their horns and stopping and starting to let pedestrians pass. The sunlight reflected off every metal and glass surface, making my head throb in protest – or maybe it was the quickly consecutive apparations.

Clive adjusted his white gloves as I stalked down the sidewalk, against the onslaught of muggles. I searched the stores around me for any sign of the plaque, feeling my agitation increase with every bump and nudge of people rushing past. "We're looking for a shop called _Bijoux Délicats, _it's small, old fashioned and has a bronze plaque beside the door. I've been there once before, and I know it's on this street, but I'm not sure how far along."

"Well, Sir, you'll be glad to hear that this Boulevard is precisely 1.57 miles long. And at an average walking speed, it'll take approximately thirty-one minutes to reach the very end of the street, which I believe puts us one minute behind schedule."

I groaned and quickened my pace. "You always know how to cheer me up, Clive."

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"CLIVE! TIME UPDATE!"

"Four-twenty-four Sir. Practically the same as it was when you asked twenty one seconds ago."

Forty minutes. We'd been walking around this concrete hell for forty minutes, and yet there was still no sign of _Bijoux Délicats._ I leaned against a navy post box and snarled at a muggle child when he looked at me with amusement. We'd already raced up and down the street and were now within the painstaking process of doubling back. I glanced around at the buildings, all of them appearing identical to my worn eyes. "It has to be here…." I panted, hope dwindling.

Clive's expression remained impassive for a few seconds before it changed ever so slightly – perhaps his pale blue eyes softened. "Sir… I know I have suggested it once prior, but I'm afraid I missed your response amongst your successive gargle of anger. Hence I shall ask again – and forgive me for my redundancy. But, why don't we simply apparate into the shop itself? Although I have never visited the store, I believe with enough mental-visual stimuli I could transport us there."

I turned to face him, exhausted and frustrated, but not towards Clive. "We couldn't. Although I don't doubt your ability, Clive, _Bijoux Délicats_ is a building crafted of ancient magic. It is a guarded with anti-theft hexes so severe that you couldn't even apparate to the shop's front door without being completely misdirected to somewhere else entirely." I scowled and kicked the brick wall beside me, foot throbbing. "Making it damn near IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE!"

There was a scuffling sound and a billboard that had been residing peacefully on the wall I'd just kicked crashed down onto the pavement. I began to groan but stopped as soon as I raised my head. Upon the bricks where the billboard advertising hand cream had been resting, there was a bronze plaque which read: '_Bijoux Délicats - Le meilleur savoir-faire en France' _in flowing letters. For a few seconds I stammered, taking in the small, worn shop with the great black door in between two well-polished windows displaying nothing. Some of the upper windows on the second story had been boarded up and there was a small sign just above the golden door knocker reading: 'Out of Business' in both French and English.

I released a breath held in out of frustration and looked over to Clive, perpetually impassive. "It appears you've located it, Sir."

"It appears I have," I replied, flicking my wand into my hand and casting my eyes up and down the street. Nobody seemed to be paying particular attention to us, so I quickly brushed the palm of my hand, holding my wand, against the smooth wood of the ink black door. The golden knocker twitched into life and the circlet banged solidly upon the door exactly four times. In the bat of an eyelid, jewels of sparkling quality appeared in the windows to each side of the door; diamonds winking in the sunlight, pure gold bracelets stacked into perfectly fitted piles six feet high, centuries old Viking crowns and helmets inlaid with curling designs, golden pyramids the size of salamanders, copper chained necklaces adorned with griffin feathers – it was easy to guess what Henri had been up to lately.

Hurriedly, I opened the quiet door and entered the small shop, Clive shadowing my movements. The door politely snapped shut as soon as I took my second step across the odd panelled floor and the ornate brass bell upon the counter dinged instantly. There was a beat of silence in which my eyes flitted around the deserted shop, taking in the shelves and cases loaded with glistening trinkets and obscurities, and then a thick, high voice sounded from over my shoulder.

"_Maître Malfoy__!_"

I jumped violently and spun on my heel, instinctively gripping my wand tighter. I caught sight of Clive's surprised face (which for him was a slight raise of one eyebrow and his pale blue eyes a little wider than usual) and was then plastered in the embrace of the short, plump figure of Henri, who quickly planted two kisses on each of my cheeks as I staggered under his pressing weight. _"C'est bon de vous voir, oui très bon de te voir..."_ Henri babbled on with his usual greeting as I staggered on my unbalanced feet and attempted to stammer out some form of exclamation.

The portly man grabbed my face in his two meaty but uncomfortably supple hands and grinned at my startled expression. Henri was probably in his late seventies, but his face didn't appear aged. His quick brown eyes gleamed and his steel grey comb over was never a wisp out of place. Today he wore plum purple robes with a midnight blue waistcoat buttoned in brass with shoes so well shined the candlelight reflecting off them was near retina-damaging. _"Maître Malfoy…"_he said again, grinning at me in a tone that seemed a little nostalgic. He seemed on the verge of babbling once more, so I quickly spouted out some words.

"_Monsieur Henri, _it is good to see you again," I began clearly, and Henri frowned ever so slightly, as I continued, "Although I'll have to insist for the benefit of my assistant here," I motioned towards Clive who seemed to be concealing a smug smirk at my position, "that we use English. There is much work I have to attend to and-"

"-Oh of course, of course!" Henri interrupted, releasing me from his hold and walking past me to stand stoically behind the counter, his grin permanently fixed on his lips. "Business yes, always business for our young Master Malfoy… oh but of course it's Lord Malfoy now, eh?" Henri's gaze softened slightly and his smile weakened. "I apologise of course, for your awful loss. Lord Lucius was a good man – perhaps a little stern, yes, but he cared for his family."

I didn't reply, feeling that maybe if I stayed still Henri's words wouldn't be able to seep across the space and soak into me. I didn't like thinking about my father. As the silence erupted, Henri shuffled and grinned again.

"Ah but you have grown into a fine young man, Draco, yes. The last time I saw you – why you mustn't have been older than fourteen? Only a child – and still such a handsome face! I suppose that's a family trait though eh? The Malfoys – handsome and irrevocably trustworthy; providing you trust in them first of course." And at that Henri gave a little wink.

I smirked and stepped forward until I was leaning against the counter. "Thank you, Henri. You and yours have and always will be strong associates of my family, which is why I've come to you today." Levelling my stare into Henri's chocolate brown eyes I made my tone sincere. "I need a ring. The perfect ring."

Henri's face lit up and he placed a hand on my shoulder. _"Maître Malfoy…_are you looking for an engagement ring?"

I managed a smile, but prepared myself. "Well, yes-"

"_OHOOOO!"_ Henri burst, jumping up in excitement. His voice bellowed so loud that the bell on the counter vibrated and began dinging inconsistently. "_Merveilleuse journée!_ The young Lord Malfoy soon to be married! Pray tell, who is the lucky and presumably _magnifique_ lady you have chosen?"

Fishing in my pocket I produced my pocket watch and opened it. Next to the clock-face was a picture of Ryuu turning to look up at me and then slipping in to an easy smirk. I handed the watch to Henri. "Her name is Ryuu Veil – you wouldn't have heard of her because…" I paused, wondering how Henri would react. To be honest I wasn't certain of his position. "Because she's a muggleborn." I finished.

Henri stared down at the picture and nodded. "Mmm yes, I know this face. Ryuu Veil…" her name sounded strange on his French-accustomed tongue. Anxiously, I glanced down at the watch taking note of the time. Four thirty three pm.

"What do you think Henri?" I began, nervously. "Do you have anything I could look at?"

"Hmmm…" Henri stared down at the picture of Ryuu for a few more seconds and then grinned. "Of course, yes. Let it never be said that _Bijoux Délicats_ would fail at such a simple task as finding the perfect engagement ring! Plus I've recently gotten some more obscure items in Peru." He shuffled over to the far wall and climbed up onto an oaken ladder which then began to whizz around the shop, stopping at random intervals along the walls so Henri could reach up or down and place a box upon his left arm.

"Did you find a dragon's nest in Peru?" I inquired, as Clive walked over to a glass cabinet filled with opal-encrusted silver peacock feathers.

"Not just a nest – a network of tunnels beneath the mountains. Dragons flying in from all over the world to dump treasures down there. Never seen anything like it! Some of the items were thousands of years old." Henri scrabbled in his waistcoat pocket to produced a monocle-like device with tiny telescope extensions protruding out ten inches from the looking glass. He pressed it over his eye and began to peer into the backs of the shelves with such detail; he looked like an art collector checking for counterfeit.

I looked over to Clive who was now inspecting a cabinet full of brass cogs and bolts with a strange expression on his face that I couldn't decipher. "Time update," I asked casually, and he snapped out of his trance to look over at me with the smallest flicker of surprise before rearranging his features into that of utter nonchalance. "Four thirty five, Sir."

I stifled a groan and turned my attention back to the large, squat man stumbling down the ladder. "Don't suppose there's any chance we can hurry this process along, Henri? I really am in a rush-"

"-Yes, yes, yes." Henri intervened, bustling around the room now and fishing objects out of cases and draws with one quick swipe of his hand. "No, no gold won't do well with her colouring – silver will be best," he mumbled, tossing half the pile aside into the air, where the rings stilled and then zoomed back into their designated places. "Give me more information about this woman. The jewellery mustn't only fit her looks, but her personality as well."

I blinked, shocked. "Um, okay. What do you need to know?"

"Her favourite colour."

"Silver."

Henri frowned and shook his head rapidly. 'No, no, no! That doesn't help at all." Hurriedly he discarded three small boxes over his shoulder, and they too hovered away. "What day was she born?"

"Twentieth of August."

Henri spun around to stare at my bewildered expression with gleaming eyes, his mouth stretching into a wide smile. "Ah, _magnifique!"_he exclaimed and hopped up to grab what appeared to be an anatomical human heart made out of crystal. "Okay, okay… what kind of a woman is she?"

I frowned and shrugged. "What do you mean by that?"

Henri tilted his head to the side, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards ever so slightly. "Is she a kind woman?"

"Well… that varies-" I stammered.

"Strong, intelligent?"

"Absolutely, yes."

"Is she peaceful?"

"W-what?"

"Peaceful. Does she exert peace?" Henri's brown eyes were incredibly sincere.

I paused, mind ticking. "Well, I suppose she's… _just?"_

"Hmmm…" Henri lowered his gaze and stood very still for a few seconds, staring at the polished timber floor that matched his shoes. Then, with a brief hesitation he carefully removed ten parcels from the great stack piled on his arm and pushed them into the air, rejected. "Alright… okay," he began with a low, levelled tone. "This last question is very important, yes? What is her greatest achievement?"

A silence rang as I thought it over. Ryuu's greatest achievement… becoming a General? Freeing all of those slaves? Saving Potter, the war messiah? Or perhaps Henri was talking of more personal achievements, like receiving an Order of Merlin First Class, or getting the career she desired without having to train. I opened my mouth and closed it again, feeling ridiculous that I couldn't answer such a simple question about my future wife. But then, Clive's voice cut across my thoughts, ringing around the room.

"Mr Malfoy."

"Yes?" I responded, as Henri grinned and clapped his hands. Then, Clive's true meaning hit me and I spun to face him.

My assistant's eyes were staring directly at me, his face locked in its perpetual impassive mask. Slowly, he inclined his chin and said again in precisely the same tone he'd used before, "Mr Malfoy is Ryuu Veil's greatest achievement."

And concealing a smirk at the thought of how Ryuu would react upon hearing that comment, I turned back to Henri and repeated, "Yes."

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Five minutes later, Henri, Clive and I stood triangled around the counter staring fixatedly at the three rings Henri had selected. The one before the salesman was a simple band made of a clear, tranquil crystal that was injected with shifting blue-grey light that reminded me of a Pensive. It had been locked inside the human heart casket and Henri had said it was made of moon crystal that had been gifted to him by an Indian prince three years ago. It was certainly mesmerising to watch the magic within the crystal, whirl around, but it seems a bit delicate for Ryuu's taste.

The ring before Clive was of ancient Nord design, which Henri claimed was forged thirteen hundred years ago on the twentieth of August. It was a thick and heavy ring, inlaid with peculiar carvings sprawling all the way around. "It is said," Henri had whispered dramatically as he'd cracked open a large hunk of basalt to produce the ring from its centre, "that the designs upon this jewel change depending on the soul of those who look upon it. No one will ever see the same pattern – even identical twins may behold it and see exactly opposite things in the carvings." I squinted as the markings in the silver seemed to blur before my eyes to form a strange, disjointed line leaving a heavy trail that jutted from the centre at random intervals, only to be net and complimented by another, single lilting line that crossed through and around it. _Well sure, it looks like that to me, but it could look foul to Ryuu…_

And then, before me was a plain silver circlet imbedded with a singular shining stone, cut into a perfect sphere. The stone gleamed bright at the touch of skin, and radiated welcoming warmth. "This is one of the finest pieces I've ever had the privilege to see," Henri had explained as he'd carefully opened the ordinary-looking navy box and showed us the ring, "I crafted the silver myself, and bound in a white gold casing for the ring – but the jewel, well that I found in one of the most unlikely places."

"Where was it?" Clive had asked with something that could've passed for interest.

And at that, Henri had raised an eyebrow, flashing a salesman smile. "The Folóï Oak Forest in Greece, and I think you know what I am getting at, my friend?" Henri asked, to which Clive had merely nodded. "Yes, I travelled there to look at the ancient home of the Centaurs – merely for curiosity's sake – when I came across a hidden burial ground. And there, set into the bark of a huge oak tree, was this beautiful artefact. I didn't want to ruin such a talisman, so I carefully removed it from the oak, sliced an ample amount off the back and replaced it within the tree once more." Henri looked down at the ring, eyes glazing over in wonder. "Upon doing more research, I discovered what that stone must be – one of its kind. The Astéri Pétra – the Star Stone. There is a legend of a star that felt so blessed by the Centaur's constant worship of it and its kin, that it fell in love with the beasts, and fell to Earth to join them. Centaurs don't commonly show desire for material wealth such as gemstones, but the Astéri Pétra is a scared relic."

A fallen star. Certainly, it was beautiful. But its story was sad. Surely this gem should be in the hands of centaurs, if it was so important to them. I wasn't sure how Ryuu would feel about wearing such a valued stone on her finger, especially if Granger found out.

"So, Maître Malfoy, have you made a decision?"

The entire shop seemed to hold its breath in anticipation as my eyes flitted between the three rings. _Indian, Norse, Star. Norse, Star, Indian. Star…_ my gaze lingered and I sighed, leaning back from the counter. "I'm sorry, Henri. But I'm afraid I can't take any of these rings."

Clive closed his eyes in pent-up frustration and Henri sagged down upon the counter, a small wail wilting his breath. _"Je vous ai manqué, Maître Malfoy! Je n'ai pas réussi ... moi-même." _

I shook my head. "That is not the case Henri. These are all exquisite; I just don't think… they're for Ryuu…" I finished awkwardly.

Henri lifted his head and plastered on a sad little smile. "It is okay, Lord Malfoy. Yes, it is fine." The stumpy man straightened up slightly and Clive vacantly produced a handkerchief. Henri instantly snatched it away and used it to dab at his welling eyes, sniffling loudly. "Okay, okay, yes." He sighed and looked at me plainly. "She is complex – this Ryuu. Difficult to match. Why, I crafted a ring about six years ago that would've been perfect, but it took a long time to make. A dragonstone ring, beautiful it was. Sold it to a house-elf-"Henri stopped as he saw my eyes widen and his mouth went slack. "-Your father's house-elf…"

I stood, frozen, feeling my mind slowly process this information that I already knew. I felt like my entire body was made of lead and I was sinking into the ground. _The perfect ring._ A ring that screamed Ryuu. I remembered that long ago Christmas when I'd slid that ring onto her finger for the very first time. A perfect fit. Perhaps I'd known back then… I didn't need to find the perfect ring.

I already had.

"…Sir?" Clive's face appeared in front of me, his left eyebrow raised in slight concern. "Are you feeling-?"

"-You haven't failed me Henri," I said quickly, my fingers beginning to twitch back into life as my brain calculated a plan. "You've merely succeeded early!" I grinned and ran forward to plant a kiss on each of his cheeks, Henri waving his arms back-and-forth in bewilderment. "Thank you Henri, and _goodbye!"_ I began to race towards the door.

"W-what? What are you talking about Maître Malfoy?" Henri's stare was wide and his voice was wobbling in confusion.

"My father didn't order that ring, Henri," I smirked as my heart raced. "I did." Clive nearly jumped as I turned and barked at him. "Time update!"

"Two past five, Sir." Clive removed his spectacles and placed them in his upper coat pocket. "An hour ahead of London."

I threw open the door and hurried out, as my assistant grabbed a hold of my forearm. For a second the sunlight bounced off the glass and metal and reflected into my eyes, blinding me, but I ignored it. _"To the Veils!"_ I yelled, and with a resounding _crack,_ darkness enveloped me.

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It took five minutes by apparition to reach Grimmauld Place. Even though I knew Clive devised the most direct routes cross-country I still felt that a little part of him may have been trying to kill the both of us. At one point we were teetering on the very edge of a suspension bridge and at another we appeared directly in the middle of a swarm of bees. Slipping slightly on the rain sodden ground, I leaned against my assistant, who harboured the sturdy upright strength of a newly built brick wall. "Time…update…" I croaked, wincing as a bee stung the side of my neck. I pinched the bug and tossed it to the ground, squashing it under my shoe venomously.

"Seven minutes past four, Sir." Clive replied, easily replacing his glasses upon his face. "And I presume I've brought you to the correct location?"

"Yes," I said, straightening my slightly weathered coat and passing a glance towards the man next to me, whose clothing was impossibly immaculate as always. "Yes, thank you Clive."

It always made me feel a little surreal to be stepping into the foyer of Ryuu's home at No. 4 Grimmauld Place, the place where she spent most of her life. I'd only really been in her parent's apartment twice; once during the Christmas holidays of our fifth year to take her to dinner, and the second time, directly after the war when we'd left Hogwarts and had nowhere else to go – I hadn't wanted to go back to Malfoy Manor. Not at that time. Not for a long time… the apartment had been cleared out – she'd told me what she'd had to do to her parents. We'd stayed there for days, sleeping, eating, gaining enough strength to travel to Australia. It had been like an introduction to muggle life; watching Ryuu cook meals, going into London to buy clothes, using electricity. We could've used magic a lot more than we had, but I felt that Ryuu had needed a lot more normal at that time.

But as I climbed the plain timber staircase up to the top floor, I couldn't help but notice how small a place this must've been to grow up. No sprawling gardens or lengthy corridors or hidden rooms, _no magic. What must she have done for fun?_

"I'd imagine she would've read books, Sir." Clive said, as if responding to my thoughts. He had a strange way of being able to tell exactly what I was thinking.

I shrugged. "I suppose…" Up ahead was the big red door with the familiar brass handle. I brushed my hands down my front, clearing away a stray leaf from when we'd apparated directly into a hedge, and strode forward, rapping clearly on the door before my confidence could waver.

I just had time to take one deep breath before the door opened and I was met by Ryuu's deep green eyes. For a second I froze, before registering that the teak skinned and dark haired woman before me was Felicity, Ryuu's mother – although at times they looked near identical.

"Draco!" she smiled and stepped forward as if about to flow into an embrace, however out of instinct I raised my hands and she faltered, mid-step. There was a beat of awkward tension in which I mentally cursed myself and Felicity bit her lip. Then, she smoothly reached both of her hands out to clasp mine in a warm touch that made me stare at them for a bit longer than necessary. "What a pleasant surprise…" her stare met mine and I could see she was being sincere.

_Okay, time for some sweet-talking. _I pulled back and returned her smile. "Thank you… um, yes. And of course you look beautiful as always, Madam."

Felicity cleared her throat and smiled a small smile. "Please, just Felicity – or Mum if you really wanted to…" the joke ran dry in her mouth as my eyes involuntarily darkened and I glanced down at my feet. The second of quiet panned out , and I desperately felt the need to fill it before any apologies or consoling started.

"I'm sorry to intrude;" I continued smoothly, reapplying a polite smile to my lips."I was just hoping to speak with Mr Veil- I mean, with Dominic."

Felicity stepped back from the door to let me pass. "Of course, come on in." I obeyed, glancing around the kitchen and living area for any sign of Ryuu's father, but he wasn't present. The angular lounge suite where Ryuu and I had slept for three days sat stoically in the lounge room, looking strangely empty in this brightly lit setting. Upon the walls was an array of still photographs of Ryuu, as a young girl, a teenager, a woman. There was one beside the coat rack of her and I, standing side by side a little awkwardly – it was the first time we'd been photographed together.

"And, err… who's thi-?" Felicity began to ask motioning towards Clive, whose tall formed towered over her. But before she could finish her question, Clive had easily scooped her small hand into his own gloved one and brought it up to his lips in a swift kiss. My mouth fell open as I watched Clive lift his sky blue eyes to gaze into Felicity's face. "Clive," was all he said, in a deep, slick tone. Then, smooth as anything, he deftly stepped through the doorway to stand solidly next to the kitchen counter. Felicity's cheeks tinged pink.

_Bastard! He out-mannered me! _I made a mental note to not have Clive in the room when I proposed to Ryuu. "Yes," I began with a hint of grudge in my voice. "This is Clive, my personal… butler. He shines my shoes for me."

Felicity's eyes flickered downwards, just as I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. I turned to see a tall, blond, wavy haired, generally cheerful looking man approaching, looking at me with an expression of half surprise and half something else. He stopped, holding a mug in one hand and his thumb in the other. "Oh, uh…" Dominic stammered, meeting my gaze and attempting a watery smile. "Hi there, Dray."

There was a split second in which I felt my eyes widen dangerously and Dominic mimicked me.

"-Co." He blurted. "Draco, yes hello…" Dominic couldn't suppress a small wince at the failure of his nickname.

"Have I been pronouncing your name wrong, this entire time, Sir?" Clive cut in slyly, to which I cast him a glare that could have turned bread into burnt toast in a nanosecond.

I suppressed the urge to call him Dom in my introduction, reminding myself why I was here. "Good evening, Dominic." I began, trying to assume the most formal tone I could muster. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something I must discuss with you at once."

Dominic's blue eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Sure, what is it?" I paused to collect myself, but perhaps the man before me saw worry in my eyes because he instantly straightened up and his tone turned serious. "Has something happened to Ryuu?"

"No – no she's fine." Dominic nodded and I felt Felicity's eyes piercing my back. I stepped to the side so I could face both of them at once. And the concern began to creep in. _What if they said no? What is I wasn't acceptable in their eyes for a son-in-law? _I raised my chin and blinked the nerves away, folding my hands behind my back. "Ryuu's fine, she's… she's perfect." Dominic nodded and lifted his drink to his mouth. Felicity smiled warmly and I took a deeper breath. _I can do this._

"It's me," I said carefully. "I just wanted to ask you… Mr Veil," I turned to Dominic and met his stare in what I hoped was a look of measured equality. "I just wanted to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Dominic choked on his drink at the same time as there was an audible gasp from my left and before I could react, Felicity had rushed over and folded me in an embrace. Instinctively I raised my arms over her head, but then slowly placed them around the woman's shoulders. "Oh, yes my dear boy. Oh, of course…" Felicity babbled into my chest, before she pulled back and brought her hand up to cup the side of my face. I felt my eyes widen.

This had happened before.

But not with Ryuu's mother.

Without really thinking about it, I placed my hand over her own and whispered, "Thank you."

Felicity looked up at me with distant eyes and smiled. "You're welcome."

Plucking up some courage, I switched my attention to Dominic, who was still clearing his throat from the mouthful of tea he'd choked on in his surprise. Ryuu's father hurriedly composed himself and took a step closer, his eyes glancing up and down. Uncertainty prickled at the back of my neck. It wasn't as if this man and I were on great terms – mind, I'd never done anything to offend him, we were both just a little wary around each other. As far as I was concerned, Dominic had never been fully able to understand why Ryuu and I were together – seeing as we'd fought on opposing sides of the war. Every time Ryuu had explained some of the things Death Eaters did, I couldn't help but notice the lingering glances Dominic threw my way. _Oh no,_ I thought, _what if he refuses?_Surely I'd still marry Ryuu anyway, but that could make the gap between Ryuu's parents and myself widen into an abyss.

Felicity stepped back from me a little, throwing her husband a look, which he didn't catch because he was staring at me with a face pinched in slight confusion. I got the feeling that he was still ticking over what I'd just said, and waited in nervous anticipation. After a few seconds, the man's blue eyes cleared and he raised his hand. I winced, but Dominic only placed his palm on my shoulder.

Then, before I knew it I was being pulled into an embrace. I blinked in shock as Dominic spoke lowly to me. "I trust her to take care of you."

"So do I," I replied as Dominic patted me on the back and we parted, giving each other a nod.

Felicity clapped her hands over her mouth and spoke in excitement. "Oh! Now we have another Veil!"

"-Well, actually…" I cut in, stitching on a smile to keep a polite decorum, "Ryuu will become a Malfoy, seeing as I'm the husband."

Dominic swallowed a laugh and placed his mug on the coffee table. "That may be, but I have a feeling that Ryuu is the alpha of your relationship."

Suppressing a snide remark, I looked up at Clive, who was depositing a small glass vial into his coat pocket. "Time update?" I asked.

"Sir, it is now four-twenty-five pm."

I took a brief breath and looked down at Felicity. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I have to propose to Ryuu."

Felicity gasped again and jumped up onto her tippy toes, moving as if not knowing how to move. With a slight hesitation she pushed her hand against my shoulder, grinning. "Good luck!"

I paused, not certain of how to react. Then, I carefully pushed my hand against her shoulder, mimicking her actions. "Thanks…?" My face creased into a frown as she burst out laughing.

Clive held out an arm as I approached and gripped his elbow. For a second, I nodded farewell to the Veils, then said loudly and clearly as if I was using Floo Powder, "The Leaky Cauldron, Clive." And with a crack that nearly deafened me, I was suddenly being compressed form all sides, but before any more effects could begin to take place, we appeared on a creaky old doorstep, my nose bumping against the dusty, glass panelled door.

Straightening up, I pushed the door open, the bell tinkling at our arrival. The constant décor of the Leaky Cauldron greeted us; petrified wooden tables dotted around the cramped in area, floorboards that squeaked in protest at the lightest touch of a shoe, an ample layer of dust caking every surface, out of place ornate vases teetering on the edges of end tables and counters as if threatening to jump, rustic chandeliers sporting candles bleeding crusted wax, multi-coloured windows made of a jumble of different types of glass, the occasional murmured bubble of conversation between two or three wizards sipping at pints in the corner. It was a quiet afternoon for the old bar.

"Sir," Clive's droning voice sounded from over my shoulder as I made my way out the back door and to the courtyard overrun with weeds, "may I ask what our business is in Diagon Alley?"

The code to open the brick wall came naturally to me. I lifted my wand and tapped the first brick. "It's simple Clive, so very simple. I gave Ryuu a ring years ago for Christmas – and it is _the_ ring. I'm going to use that ring to propose; the only problem is she's wearing it. Which means I have to get it off her without her noticing."

The doorway opened onto the bustling street of Diagon Alley and for a moment I frowned. _Why is it so busy? _A tall, cloaked witch shuffled past me and I stumbled as she bumped my shoulder. The street was alive with activity, with children racing around between adults' legs on toy broomsticks and mobile merchants wheeling their carts parallel to the crowds shouting: "Firecrab kidneys! Get your firecrab kidneys! Burns twice as long and five times as hotter as charmed flame!" and "Toad's breath, quality bottled toad's breath – only half price, with a special on bottled hiccups!"

"Thursday afternoon, Sir." Clive explained, "Late night shopping."

"_Perfect,"_ I groaned and began to sidle my way through the masses, shoving slow movers out of my path. "Hurry Clive!" I shouted, "Ryuu's meeting begins at five thirty, we have to be at the Ministry before then!"

"Your plans are still unknown to me Sir," Clive said flatly, and continued pace by my side unflinchingly, even as a small barn owl landed atop his bald head and began to prune its feathers.

I felt myself staring, but Clive gave no indication whatsoever to the obvious bird of prey residing on his head like an absurd hat. "Well, err…" the owl had begun to nibble at the noticeable point of Clive's left ear, yet still my assistant blinked slowly behind his polished spectacles and maintained a flattened mouth-line. Shaking my head to clear it, I continued.

"I have to get the ring off Ryuu without her knowing it's me. A chameleon charm requires too much focus. I don't have the time to try and procure an invisibility cloak, and I can't exactly hex her in the middle of the Ministry of Magic." Clive raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes, dodging around a witch and wizard carrying four huge wicker baskets carrying one small specked egg in the direct centre of each one. "Not that I would hex my future wife under any circumstance. So really, my only other option is Polyjuice Potion, a tricky ting to find – but I know just the person to go to."

It took us another fifteen minutes to navigate our way through the surge of shoppers, even at a rushed pace. Clive's owl friend eventually fluttered off his head when a wheelbarrow of squirming, half-alive mice trundled past, being pushed by a wizard wearing swamp green robes and a pointed hat riddled with spider webs. I accidentally bumped into a dark skinned witch outside of Madam Malkin's, as she levitated an impressive hat onto a dummy outside the store. A young boy came dashing past Clive holding an ice cream cone with two rainbow scoops on it. The boy tripped over his shoelaces, but Clive caught him before he hit the pavement, and then snatched one of the falling scoops with his other hand. Aghast, the child watched as Clive easily replaced the ice cream back on top of the cone, and then removed his soiled glove with a swift flick, only to reveal another perfectly clean one underneath. My assistant raised himself to his full height and tapped the damaged glove with his wand so that it caught alight and incinerated in seconds. The boy's jaw dropped as Clive stared calmly down at him and then he turned and ran away yelling, "Mum, you won't believe what that man just did!"

Finally we arrived, a little breathless, at a medium sized store on one of the branching paths off the main alley. The façade was painted a deep purple with a large window on the right side filled with bottles of various shapes and sizes, golden cauldrons, skinned rabbits hanging from hooks. Just below the line of the roof were the words: _'Noseworthy Co: Apothecary and Potioneer,' _in shiny black painted lettering.

And then, just below the door handle was a small roll of parchment reading: _Back at 5:00._

"Clive-" I began.

"-It's four-forty-five Sir. Another fifteen minutes to wait."

I sat down at the wooden bench outside the window, chewing on my frustration and counting the seconds at they went by. "Dammit, Reeah…"

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A/N: It was rather fun coming up with the rings in Henri's shop. The Folóï Oak Forest is actually a real place in Greece, in mythology it is said to be the place where Centaurs originated from. However, the Star Stone story and the other tales of each ring were of my own design.

Apologies for the botchy French, I used Google translate.

When I first started writing this chapter I said to my Beta, "Maybe Draco should have a PA – you know just so he came have someone to shout his plans at." And she said, "Yeah, that's be good, like a really well dressed guy called…"

Then for a few minutes we listed name before I finally said: "Clive!"

And Reeah said, "Oh my gosh yes; Clive!"

Suddenly, all at once at the mention of this one word, ideas about this character started spilling out from the both of us like tidal waves. Clive should be immaculately dressed all the time! He should be a six foot two form of concentrated sass! Clive should always know the exact time down to the last second without ever having to look at a watch! He should be adept at wandless magic and versed in the tongues of all woodland creatures! Clive should look like Cecil Baldwin, the voice actor from Welcome To Night Vale!

And it grew from there.

So I hope you enjoy Clive; because you will see him in the Sequel as well.


	3. Chapter 3 - Proposal

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter.'

A/N: Sorry, it's been a while since I last posted. Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy – I've tried to include all of my main characters from DAS in this story.

BETA: Reeah Noseworthy.

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Chapter 3 – Proposal

Draco

"She's late, she's late, she's late, she's late…" My agitation was building rapidly. I paced along the cobbled street outside the shop, Clive standing so still and solitary by the door, he almost looked as if he wasn't real. A shadow wearing a suit. I glanced at Reeah's hand written note on the door once more and scowled. "Time update!"

"Six minutes and two seconds past five, Sir."

I grit my teeth and spun on my heel as I heard a scuffle behind me. There, just a few feet away stood Reeah Zabini, raven hair framing her face, wearing dark purple robes and holding a sandwich halfway up to her mouth. Her blue-brown eyes blinked once in surprise. "Boss? But, I thought you were in Germany at the moment-"

"-Reeah!" I dashed forward, so I was standing directly before her, her head only reaching to my shoulders. "I need a favour."

She sighed and walked past me, flicking her wand out from her pocket. "I'm having dinner Draco."

I grabbed a hold of her shoulder and she turned to look up at me in concern. "Please Reeah," I said, hearing my own intensity, "it's urgent."

"Umm…" Carefully, Reeah removed my clamping hand from her shoulder. "Okay then," she said in a voice used for addressing a small child. The door clicked open. "Come on in, I suppose."

It was spacious inside, with an enchanted broom sweeping the floor. In the very centre of the room resided a huge copper-based cauldron placed on top of a pit of coals and firecrab kidneys. To the right side of the room, a branchless tree was imbedded into the wall, its trunk a patchwork of varying barks and woods. Behind the counter, the far wall was filled from top to bottom in compartments of every size, cages containing live monkeys, tanks full of murky water that throbbed disturbingly and metal winter-boxes that I knew hid things such as fairy wings and Cyclops eyeballs. Looking at the left side of the room was like looking at the wall to a torture dungeon. Blades, hooks, knives, axes, chains and pikes of all types of metal and size were arranged in neat columns upon the wall, and below them on a rickety old table was a set of scales, a basin and a frosted looking glass.

"That'll do thanks, Sweepy," Reeah proclaimed.

"What-?" I began, before I noticed the broom shift away to behind the counter and rest against the wall. I'd almost forgotten about Reeah's weird habit of naming things.

Reeah took a large bite of her sandwich and covered her mouth with her hand. "So… what do you need?

I heard the door shut behind us and I dug my hands into my pockets and produced a pouch filled with gold. "Polyjuice Potion. I can pay."

"I know you can pay, you twat." Reeah snapped, eyes fierce. She swallowed and lowered her hand. "But In case you haven't noticed, Draco, you have to be an Auror or a representative from Safe Use of Potions Department to purchase Polyjuice Potion – otherwise it's kind of highly illegal."

I paused. "I can pay _double."_

Reeah gave me a look and squared her shoulders. "No, Draco. The SUPD will put me out of business." She angrily bit into her sandwich again and moved to stand behind her counter, making her look slightly taller. "Besides what do you even need Polyjuice Potion for anyway? Another prank on Potter I suppose…"

I stepped forward so I was leaning against the counter and smirked, feeling a lightness in my chest. "I'm going to propose to Ryuu."

Reeah's mouth parted slightly and she gasped slowly. "Oh my-!" She stood up suddenly and my smirk widened. "Oh my Lord! Boss!" She threw her arms around me and laughed. "Oh you idiot, _why do you make me so happy?"_

"I'm going to take that as a congratulations…" I replied as she drew back, smirking.

She crossed one arm over her stomach and raised her sandwich again, smile faltering. "It was a congratulations , but – I still can't give you that potion…"

Sighing, I fixed Reeah in a disappointed gaze. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't look at me like that."

I held my expression.

Her lip quivered. "No, come on that's not fair!"

I frowned. "Clive!" I barked, and my assistant appeared at my side. "Assist me." I commanded, not letting my eyes leave Reeah.

Clive fixed his face into one of forlorn and stared longingly into Reeah's left eye, the one with a streak of brown protruding from the iris. Her brow furrowed and she straightened up. "Oh, bloody hell. That's it! Out of my shop."

"Please Reeah," I tried again, rearranging my features so that they were normal once more. "Don't you owe Ryuu a favour for what she did for you in the War?"

Reeah's eyes narrowed once more, and she held my stare for another three seconds before she finally caved. "Alright, fine! But this is just a one-time thing, okay?" I grinned. "One batch of Polyjuice Potion coming right up-" she said.

"-Actually, could you make it two?" I interrupted with a slight wince.

She levelled her eyes to mine and raised an eyebrow, but when I didn't explain she merely shrugged. "Okay, whatever. If I'm going to break the law I might as well shatter it. Here, hold my sandwich."

"Clive!" was all I needed to say, and he took the sandwich in his gloved hands.

Reeah began to burrow underneath the counter, but she cast my assistant a glance. "Oh, so you're the famous Clive Plastes? Draco talks about you all the time; like a girl on her first date."I glared at Reeah as the corner of Clive's tight lipped, now crooked mouth twitched upwards.

With a hollow _thunk, _Reeah plonked a big heavy billboard upon the counter-top. Pinned upon the board were two dozen photographs of various people's faces, with a small piece of parchment beneath each one, labelled with a number. "Pick a face, any face. Sorry no refunds."

"Who are these people?" My eyes slid across the rows and rows of faces, none of them familiar.

"Muggles. You'd be surprised how easy it is to walk into a muggle barber shop with a dustpan and not have anyone question you. Tricky part is taking note of which hairs belong to who, and then of course, getting the photo…" I glanced up at her and she shrugged. "I wait outside for them to leave and pretend to be a tourist taking random shots."

Clive's voice sounded from the other side of the room. "Would it not be simpler to just confund them?"

Reeah frowned in response and began to tie back her hair into a pony tail. "Perhaps it would be simpler. But it would also be crueller."

I stared for a long time at each face, trying to decide which would work best. _I need someone that doesn't look anything like me. _My eyes settled on a man in the third row with a large bushy brown beard and a bald patch on the top of his head. His dark, beady eyes were small under his furrowed brow. "That one," I pointed to the picture of the bearded man. "And that one," I said, indicating to a picture in the bottom left corner of a middle aged woman with orange hair arranged into a beehive and a button nose.

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"Good thing I keep stocks of the stuff out back," Reeah babbled on as she fished around in a jar of lacewing flies for a large handful. "To most people this would seem like its finished, but it needs the final few steps before it's done. If you used this now, it would have very… unpleasant consequences… completely thief-proof though. Don't touch Stabby!" Reeah suddenly blurted.

I looked over at Clive who's hand had been half outstretched to a medium sized bronze dagger, upon the arsenal wall. Slowly, he lowered his hand and folded both of them behind his back.

"Stabby doesn't look it, but he's one of the sharpest blades you'll ever see. Found it in Mumbai." Reeah stirred the cauldron anti-clockwise with a huge wooden spoon. "I loved India, so many great temples…" she began wistfully, going off on a tangent. "Speaking of India – I heard the coolest name over there, get this: _Devachandra. _How good is that." She lowered her tone and took the time to annunciate each syllable. "_Devachandra_. I love it. It means: 'of the moon.'"

"You do have a knack for naming things…" I commented dryly, feeling the immense need to subtly check my pocket watch. I threw Clive a glance and he lowly said, "Eleven minutes past five, Sir."

_Less than half an hour._ Shit, less than half an hour and I would have the ring. One step closer to proposing. I hadn't even thought about what I was going to say yet. I looked down at my suit, dirtied and torn from falling into brambles and onto concrete and running around Paris. _I have to get a better suit. But I don't have time to go back to Malfoy Manor. _I grimaced and lifted my head to see Clive standing before me. Immaculate, convenient, Clive.

"Take off your clothes," I said suddenly, and like the owl, Clive didn't show a flicker of response.

A silence began to thicken in the shop and then Reeah spoke up from behind the huge cauldron, her mouth wobbling into a sly smirk. "Whoa there, the boyfriend line was a joke, right?"

I ignored her. "Clive, I need you to trade suits with me."

My assistant didn't move for a long time, but I persisted in staring him down. Clive's spectacles caught the light, so I couldn't see what his eyes were doing. The quiet in the room was only interrupted by the bubbling of the Polyjuice Potion as Reeah began to ladle the liquid into two separate flasks. I was just about to yell at Clive for denying an order, when he slowly lifted his hands to his jacket coat. "As you wish, Sir."

I stepped back and began to pull off my shirt and trousers as quickly as I could. "Oh Lord, it's Christmas," Reeah giggled from the sidelines.

But as Clive removed any article of clothing, another one appeared underneath. He slid the sleeves of his shirt down his arms, only to reveal an identical shirt underneath. And the same went for his trousers, waistcoat, gloves and shoes. Last of all, he picked up his jacket from the ground and shook it out so an identical copy unfolded itself from within. Then, Clive waved his wand and the clothing gathered into a neat pile that shifted over to rest beside my feet. My assistant stood up straight, eyes level with mine and motioned to the folded suit. "Your clothes Sir."

I stared for a moment in startled silence, still marvelling at the ease and skill of Clive's wandless magic. "Whoa," Reeah commented, eyes wide and staring at the perpetually suited form of Clive. Hurriedly, I began to change, pulling on the trousers and buttoning up the shirt. All of it fit absolutely perfectly, down to the last polished silver button.

"Here… we go." Reeah promptly added some brown trimmings into the left flask, which turned a deep bubbling magenta, and the orange hairs to the right one, making the potion mix into a pale shade of lavender. "Two batches of Polyjuice Potion with my special ingredient – cinnamon - to help with the taste. One mouthful should last about an hour and fifteen minutes, and there's probably enough for about two mouthfuls in each one." She handed the two flasks to me, and tucked her dark bangs behind her ears. "Now considering, the illegality of what I just did I should ask for double payment, but if it's for love…" Reeah chewed her lip in mock thoughtfulness and then nodded her head, "…yep, double payment. And I'll be expecting a place at the VIP table at the wedding."

I tossed her two pouches of gold and passed the flasks of potion to Clive. "Thank you so much Reeah; I am in your debt." I began to hurry towards the door, but I still heard her call out after me.

"I'm sure I can think of plenty of ways to use that to my advantage!"

"The Ministry, Clive!" I announced as we emerged into the street, and before the door had time to close behind us, my assistant had already grabbed onto my arm.

We appeared on a barren street corner, the breeze blowing up stray pieces of newspaper across the road. A steel trashcan had fallen on its side; aluminium cans and dozens of cigarette butts had been spewed out over the curb. Two stray cats prowled out from behind the cans, and when they spotted us scampered away into the nearest alley in a flash of black and white fur. "Where are we, Clive?"

"I felt that this would be the fastest and most sanitary entrance into the Ministry, Sir," he replied as he led the way across the street. Checking both ways for those accursed cars, I quickly followed, straightening my jacket out of nervous habit. I began to open my mouth, but as always Clive was one step ahead of me. "The time is five-twenty pm Sir."

Ryuu's meeting started at five-thirty. She could be heading in at any minute now. I didn't have much time.

Clive opened the creaky door to a shabby old red phone box and gestured inside. Without hesitation, I ducked my head and crammed myself into a corner, while Clive began to press a sequence of buttons on the muggle phone. Suddenly, a soothing female voice rang through the cubicle. "Welcome to the Ministry Of Magic. Please state your name and business."

My assistant spoke in a dead flat drone. "Mr Draco Malfoy here on a bamboozling escapade in a desperate attempt to engage himself before his arguable mortal enemy does."

After a small pause, there was a light clink and I bent down to pick up a silver pin off the ground. The pin had my name, and then a very cramped two line description underneath, exactly as Clive had worded it. Grimacing at the smug expression shadowing on my assistant's face I tossed the pin out one of the missing glass panes of the booth, just as the voice finished its last message: "…which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

With a rusty wheeze the floor shuddered and we began to slowly descend, the pavement outside already reaching up to my knees. I cleared my throat. "Clive, I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you away."

A short, tense pause; then Clive replied in a tone I'd never heard him use before. "Of course… Sir."

"I can manage on my own," I continued, turning to look over at my assistant, "and-" I stopped as I watched Clive remove his glasses and snap them in half.

I sputtered, aghast, but Clive kept his eyes downcast and spoke very lowly. "As you wish, Sir. I will leave as soon as we reach the Ministry."

"Good lord man, I'm not firing you!" I exclaimed, catching on to Clive's unusual behaviour. "I'm merely asking you to go and get someone for me and then return."

He stopped, and I could've sworn that the lightest tinge of colour spread up the back of his neck, but it was a bit too dim to tell. Slowly, he lofted his wand and tapped them at the frames of his spectacles, which instantly repaired themselves. He slid the glasses back onto the bridge of his nose so they boxed his gaze once more. "Yes Sir."

An awkward second ticked by and I shook my head slightly at the thought that fluttered through: _Who is Clive? _I made my tone sound scolding. "I'm disappointed Clive. You seem so desperate to escape this work – when you already have one day off a year, on my birthday," The original plan had been a day off on _his _birthday, but Clive had insisted it be mine, partly, I think, because he enjoyed the thought of me not having anyone to order around on my own personal day. "Perhaps we should re-negotiate our business terms."

The clunking of the phone booth was all the filled the brief silence before Clive said, very quietly, "For as long as I live I shall serve the Malfoys, down to the most detailed command."

I blinked. _Well, there really is no way to respond to that. _"Right… yes, of course Clive. Now, I need you to fetch someone for me. Colin Creevy – he's Dennis Smith's younger brother. I have no idea where he could be, but Dennis is in Hogsmeade." The Atrium appeared before us, and we quickly got closer and closer to the ground. "I need him to wait for Ryuu and I outside of her meeting room on level four by no later than five-thirty. Hopefully we can get this done before Ryuu has to be in there."

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," the voice chimed as we solidly landed.

Clive opened the door for me and held my stare. "I shall return with him in nine minutes, Sir," He handed me the magenta flask of Polyjuice Potion. Then, he promptly shut the door and the phone booth levitated up towards the roof.

Heart pounding at the thought of proposing in the next nine minutes, I turned to face the bustling Atrium filled with people and spotted Ryuu instantly. She was very close, standing a few feet away at the newspaper stand. _"Shit," _I cursed, ducking behind a witch with a very tall orange hat and dashing behind a fireplace. Ryuu was still in my sights, just three steps from the fireplace I was using as my cover. She was wearing a long sleeved white blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt, and had her hair pinned professionally back in a French twist. Her emerald eyes scanned over an article in the Daily Prophet labelled _'FUJITIVE SIGHTING: Liverpool, at 1 am.' _Absently, she dropped two knuts into the small tin on the counter, which shivered and whistled: "Thank you for your honesty, Miss!"

I flattened against the tiles and uncorked the vial in my hands. With a brief breath, I quickly wolfed down a mouthful of potion, which tasted like old mothballs and dust. Clearing my throat at the unpleasantness, I began to feel the change. My hands and feet broadened, so that my shoes quickly became uncomfortable. I shot upwards a few inches, but thankfully the only effect on the suit was that my trousers ended a little above the ankle now. I stifled a grunt as my face began to morph and twist, my flesh feeling like a thick paste being moulded out of shape. Thick brown hair protruded from my chin as the beard grew. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, they were brown. I placed my hand on the top of my head to feel smooth scalp. _Excellent, I look hideous, Ryuu won't recognise me at all_. Now all I had to do was get the ring without Ryuu noticing, and then… _propose. Dammit, what am I going to say? _I grimaced and peeked around from my vantage point, only to have my mouth twist into a scowl.

Zacharias Bloody Smith was now standing next to _my girlfriend_, and tapped her shoulder, a smirk dancing on his smug little face. Ryuu turned and smiled in greeting, folding her Prophet and placing it in her bag. "I just came over to wish you good luck on your meeting," Smith began smoothly, and my scowl only deepened. I'd call this guy a dick if he had one in the first place…

I was just about to skirt past them to get a better vantage point, when my step faltered as I looked down at my suit. A shabby bearded man like the one I was currently wouldn't be seen in a suit as fine as this one. I had to get a better disguise… my eyes alighted on a long, tan coat that was sprawled languidly over some of the Prophets on the counter. Slick as a snake, I snatched the coat and slid it over my shoulders, buttoning it up to cover the suit. It'd have to do for now. Ryuu and Smith were walking away from the counter of newspapers and down the Atrium walkway. The Ministry was beginning to get a bit quieter now, with people heading home after a long day of work. I tried to make my step light upon the panelled timber flooring as I tailed Ryuu and Smith at a discreet distance. Much to my annoyance, they were still chatting amicably nearly all the way towards the fountain. Then, Ryuu suddenly stopped and hugged Smith goodbye before turning into a tiny open café just off to the right side of the golden centaur statue.

I too stopped and pulled out my pocket watch. Twenty four minutes past five, she was cutting it fine, wasn't she? But, knowing Ryuu, she would arrive at the meeting exactly on time, and not a second sooner. According to her, any minute waiting was a minute wasted. Nervously, I looked back up to where Ryuu was sitting at a tiny circular table on the edge of the seating area. As I watched, a waiter brought over two steaming mugs of coffee –

Hold on, two?

My eyes swivelled over to the person sitting across from Ryuu and I groaned.

_Oh this is just not my day. _

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Ryuu

The coffee was a tad sweet for my liking, but I gulped it down anyway. It took me approximately one minute and twenty seconds to reach level four, so I still had plenty of time, but nevertheless my agitation was fluxing like an ocean tide. _Don't be ridiculous, _I mentally scolded myself, _you're going to be fine, there's no need to be-_

"Nervous?" Hermione asked as she twirled her finger in the air over her mug of coffee so the pale liquid below her slowly swirled.

"Not at all," I lied easily, placing my half-drunk cup to the table and tapping my fingers against the chair.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You often forget Ryuu, when you were spying for the Order, I was working with you. I can tell when you're lying."

"You can?"

A pause and then she shrugged, "Well I can guess most of the time. It's dangerous how good you are."

I laughed lightly and took another smouldering hot mouthful of sugary coffee, glancing up at the ceiling, where golden symbols zigzagged and writhed across a midnight blue plain. They're jittery movements began to make my stomach squirm a little so I lowered my gaze-

_Someone's watching me. _

Instinct screamed at me to look up and search the room, but I withheld and gradually lifted my gaze in time with my mug. There were four points in the room in which someone could get a good look at me without being seen. First, from behind the fountain, but I could see from glancing in the window of the café that there was no one there except a witch exiting an elevator. Second, was one of the surrounding tables. I remembered back to entering the open café. There were three other customers seated around the area. One was alone man now sitting opposite Hermione and I; he was reading – but not pretending to – his eyes had been too glazed and his movements too slow and relaxed to be faking. No threat. The other two customers were a mother and child in the far back hand corner… I risked a peek over my shoulder. They were arguing over something, from the look of the exhaustion painted on the mothers face and the determination set into the young child's shoulders, this was a long ongoing disagreement. They weren't paying attention to anyone but themselves. I returned my focus to the Atrium, stare flitting over the faces in the crowd as people hustled back and forth. The flow of workers was considerably less at this time, and was mainly full of people going too or coming from work. The only exceptions were a grey haired maintenance man standing beside a tall wizard in a tan coat. Grey Maintenance awkwardly glanced upwards only notice I was looking at him before quickly averting his eyes. Suspicious? Possibly, but he was a naturally cautious person. He held his toolbox too steadily, as if to reinforce that this was indeed his job – this would've set me off into full analytical mode until I watched a witch greet him as she passed by and watched him sputter and flush uncontrollably. _Not him. _My gaze skidded over to the final possible vantage point, the Daily Prophet stand from which I'd just left, only to see that it was shutting down for the day – the young sales assistant had already piled all the stacks of papers into his briefcase and was now waving his wand at the tables so they folded up.

I swiped away the paranoia as I poured the coffee over my tongue. Nobody was watching me. I was just trying to distract myself from thinking about this meeting. Plus, being a touch insane never falls short of the equation…

However a part of me suspected that there was a bit more to it than that. Fugitive Sighting: Liverpool at 1 am. Subject described as male, early thirties, brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin. Closest match to 'Doctor' Norman Gladde that I'd hear about in months. Of course, Liverpool was on the other side of the country, but the last sighting of Gladde had been in Scotland, and before that Russia, and before _that_, India. Maybe it _was_ paranoia, or maybe it was hindsight, but it seemed to me that Gladde was just getting closer and closer as the months went by.

"Whoa, I know that look," Hermione interrupted my thoughts. I snapped back into reality and stared into Hermione's partly amused face. "You just did a huge analytical scan of the entire Ministry before your coffee had time to move from the table top to your mouth didn't you?" The brunette sighed and leaned her forearms onto the cool metal of the table. "What's on your mind?"

I chewed on the inside of my lip for a second before speaking a part of the truth. "I'm just… well I really like my job. It's kind of the only normal thing that I do. I'm brilliant at it, but it still challenges me. It has good security, good pay, and good people." I paused, staring at the dregs at the bottom of my mug. "I know I can handle being Head of the CMD, but I also know that I don't have a good history with teamwork. And leadership," I added as an afterthought, raising my eyebrows. "Especially leadership in a team. Yeah, I'm not too practised at that. I work best in a team when people leave me the fuck alone."

Hermione rolled her eyes and checked her watch. "Well," she began brightly, "You've got four minutes to figure all of that out for yourself. _Alone,"_ a mischievous smile tickled her lips, before she straightened and her tone turned a little more sincere, "But seriously Ryuu, don't worry too much. Despite what you may think, you're actually a good leader so just-" she began to wheel away from the table and glanced me up and down, "-be yourself. But not _too_ much."

I sighed and smiled pleasantly. "Thanks Hermione," I began, getting up from my seat and slinging my handbag over my shoulder, "your advice is certainly something I couldn't get in a Hallmark card for ninety-nine cents."

"Not too much!" Hermione called out over her shoulder as she waved goodbye, and despite myself, I did feel a little better.

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Draco

I knew I had to wait until Ryuu was alone before I could get the ring. Using a summoning charm would be way too noticeable, it wasn't as if the ring was extremely loose on her finger, she'd definitely feel the magical tug. No, I needed to pull the ring from her finger physically – which meant I had to distract her from her hand. Perhaps, apply pressure to her upper arm? I shook my head. _I'll figure something out. _

Granger had left the table and Ryuu was swinging her bag onto her shoulder. Hurriedly, I sidestepped out into the walkway, edging my way through the crowd until I reached the base of the fountain. Ryuu was heading my way, her head was down, checking her watch. _Good. Come on, Draco you can do this. Quick and simple. _I turned and walked straight towards her, taking a deep breath just before-

"Ah-!" Ryuu gasped in surprise as I bumped into her. I'd misjudged the weight of the bearded man, and she was now stumbling, nearly falling over.

_Perfect!_ Hastily, I grabbed her elbow to steady her, my other hand gripping her left fingers. I felt the cool touch of the ring against my fingertips. "Oh, I'm very sorry Miss," my voice was deep and gruff. I quickly slid the ring from her finger and into my palm. "I didn't mean to-" my voice caught in my throat as I noticed Ryuu's fierce green eyes pierce my face and narrow dangerously.

_Oh shit_.

In the next instant I felt her foot connect with the back of my knee hard. I barely had enough time to cry out in pain before Ryuu twisted around, using my grip on her arm to her advantage and elbowed me directly in the jaw. I staggered backwards and let go of her arm, head throbbing and watching, wide eyed, as Ryuu flipped her wand from her sleeve.

"_Stupefy!"_

With a bolt of red light I was blasted backwards and smashed against the golden torso of the wizard statue in the fountain. Gasping, I tightened a fist around the ring just before the world tilted forward and I fell down into the water. A cold rush engulfed me, but then suddenly I was being lifted up, and not by buoyancy. A bubble of water formed around me as I rose and I turned to see Ryuu standing below me, wand pointed high and mouth set in a firm line. Then-

_CRASH._

I went plummeting down. I tried to break the surface of the water and gulp down some air, but-

Up I went-

-and then down.

And then, once more.

Dark spots covered my vision as I floated on the shallow surface of the fountains' pool. I blinked drearily and coughed out some water, still feeling the ring in my hand.

"_Hey what's going on over there?!"_

"Veil?!"

"Out of the way! _Move!"_

_Oh shit, _grimacing, I hoisted myself into a sitting position and, while the rushes of people were paying attention to Ryuu, I pulled up the ankle cuff of my trousers and shoved the ring safely into my sock. _Idiot. _How had I not predicted this? Of course Ryuu would react like that, she was insane! Nervously, I glanced back at my girlfriend, who was only now lowering her wand as – I groaned – two Aurors rushed to her side. Blaise Zabini, who was looking at my sodden figure with hidden bemusement, and Roslyn, that animagus friend of Ryuu's who was glaring at her with dark eyes that glinted with anger.

"What is the meaning of this Ryuu?!" her voice boomed around the Atrium, and the nosy onlookers seemed to fold within themselves and slink away back to what they were doing.

Ryuu straightened from her fighting stance and innocently turned to Roslyn as if realising for the first time that she was there. She blinked, and her mouth formed a set line, lifting her arm to point at me. "He bumped me."

Zabini began to laugh, but hastily disguised it as a cough when his boss span on her heel to glare a him icily. "He bumped you… so you flat out attacked him in the middle of the Ministry of Magic?" Roslyn's cockney accent sounded very heavy when she was mad.

Ryuu tucked a stray curl behind her ear and shook her head, looking over my way. Our eyes locked. I silently pleaded with her to understand, but she didn't hear me. "Just before I'd felt someone watching me, and then this guy bumped me – and not just that, he physically grabbed me."

"And you're sure it was him that was watching you?" Zabini asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Well, yeah!" Ryuu argued and pointed over to an old man sweeping the floor beside a fireplace to her right, "He was standing right next to Grey Maintenance!" The man looked up when he felt Roslyn's gaze on him, face turning to the complexion of a strawberry. Then, he hastily swept the floor with more vigour, ears still visibly red. Roslyn turned back to Ryuu, one eyebrow arched, but Ryuu continued, tone deadly sincere. "I know there's something strange about him." She glanced over at me. "He isn't who he seems to be."

"Alright, Zabini," Roslyn ordered immediately. "Round him up, we'll take him to the CG Cell." Blaise flicked his wand and black rope snaked through the air to wind around my wrists, and with another flick of his wand, I was being drawn forwards, tumbling over the fountain step and dripping water everywhere. Then, Roslyn said to Ryuu, "I'll do what I can – but you can come and investigate him later yourself if you want to. Don't worry Ryuu, I'll sort it out. Besides – you have that meeting to get to." She placed a hand on Ryuu's shoulder and nodded. "Good luck."

"Right," Ryuu glanced my way one last time, eyes narrowing before turning away. "Thanks Copper!" she called over her shoulder as she hurried towards an elevator.

I was on my knees before the two Aurors, beard soaked with tepid fountain water. My wrists chafed from the ropes, and timidly I raised my heavy head to meet Roslyn's stare. "My name is Wilson, and I'm Head of the Auror Department. I'm arresting you on assault charges upon a citizen, as well as a war veteran, as well as a representative of the Ministry of Magic, as well as a public figure with connections to the First Families and Malfoy Industries. Potentially, each of these factions could hold charges against you. I will ask a question and you will answer it. Anything you say can and will be held against you – especially if it pisses me off, _are we clear?" _Her voice rang with authority.

Blinking in shock, I stared up at Blaise hoping he would recognise me. However, Zabini's dark face remained stony. Looking back up at Roslyn, I wet my lips apprehensively. "This isn't what it looks like-"

"-I'll be the judge of that," she interrupted and with a jerk of her head, Zabini gave a harsh tug on the rope and began to direct me towards the Auror Department.

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Roslyn's office was large, but seemed small. She appeared to be the kind of woman to keep an extremely regimented order upon all aspects of her life, but it turned out that Roslyn Wilson wasn't a neat person. There wasn't a speck of wall paper visible – the entire room had been plastered from head to toe in maps, photographs, pin boards, newspaper clippings, material samples, leaves, boomslang skin, and …troll hair? Above her large, sharp edged wooden desk was a map of the world sporting a trail of red pins connected by thread which ran from the east coast of Australia, to the top of India, the middle of Russia and then the west coast of Scotland. A small desk clock ticked loudly and told me the time was: 5:39 p.m. Ryuu would be in her meeting by now.

I'd failed.

In the back corner of the room was a huge iron cage, sealed with a padlock that had a bright red gemstone imbedded in the centre. The gem radiated a throbbing light that gave me a headache to look at.

Zabini tugged the sopping wet coat from my shoulders and fished inside the pockets to produce my wand. He looked at it for a very long time, dark eyes narrowing. I seized my opportunity. "Recognise it? It's my wand, Blaise. Me – Draco Malfoy."

"Search him!" Roslyn barked, and Blaise shrugged before throwing the coat and my wand into a crate labelled: _Lost & Found. _Roslyn pulled hard on a chain around her neck and it broke lose to reveal a miniature brass key on the end. She walked over to the cage and shoved the key in the bejewelled lock; a deep, cryptic booming sound resonated around the office. "I know for a fact that Draco Malfoy is currently doing business in Berlin, and last I checked he wasn't middle aged and bearded." Blaise patted down my drenched suit and retrieved my pocket watch from my waistcoat pocket, a small leather bag with three knuts inside and a fold-up pocket quill. I held my breath as he patted down my legs but thankfully, he didn't go anywhere near my shoes; the ring was safe.

"But it really is me!" I argued as Roslyn pushed me into the cell and Blaise released the binding charm so the black ropes snaked off my wrists. "I travelled from Berlin this morning, I had to get here to see Ryuu-"

"-Zabini, check the reports on Floo Powder and Portkey networks for today and see if you can see any travels from Germany to England."

"Yes Ma'am."

"No, no! I came here by apparation."

Roslyn arched an eyebrow, but the sincerity in her tone didn't waver. "Of course you did. You travelled from Berlin to London using an untraceable mode of transport that is illegal for distances crossing country borders as well as being extremely dangerous and near impossible to do without getting yourself trapped somewhere, run over by a vehicle or spotted by a muggle. Is that correct?"

I gulped , unable to draw my stare from Roslyn's unyielding mahogany eyes. "Well… yes."

"Good." She continued, slamming shut the iron door with an ear-shattering clang. "Now I actually have a more solid legal reason to lock you in here. ZABINI!" I jumped in shock, however Roslyn's face hadn't registered any change in her pitch. "Why do I not see those network reports in front of me?"

Blaise straightened and nodded his head. "Right away, Ma'am," he hurried out the door, dropping the items he'd discovered on my person on his new boss's desk. The small clock continued to tick away and I groaned at my own stupidity. How had I ended up here? How was I ever going to get to Ryuu in time now?

As I leaned my forehead against the bars and sighed, Roslyn magically drew up a chair and sat herself down in it, crossing her arms and legs to glare up at me, eyebrows drawn menacingly. She indicated towards the migraine-awakening padlock. "Do you know what that stone is?" When I shook my head, she elaborated, not unkindly. "It's an Arabic Constancy Gem. Whoever wears it remains – physically – exactly the same as when they first put it on. Rich men used them to stay young and healthy for years and years, but the stones are rather impractical for that purpose. All someone has to do is take it or break it and the wearer becomes old and withered as they should be. But they're great for temporary prisons. If we ever have a criminal whose bleeding to death, we just stick 'em in here and they'll stay alive until the mediwizards come in to patch 'em up."

I frowned. "So why are you keeping me in here?"

She shrugged. "Firstly, because I wanted to use my office and keep an eye on you simultaneously." Here, Roslyn Wilson lowered her gaze, voice flat and unforgiving. "Secondly, because I imagine it'll be rather uncomfortable for you, remaining cold and wet for the next two hours."

I rolled my eyes as the reality sunk in. A Constancy Gem. As long as I was kept in this cage, the potion wouldn't wear off and I would be trapped in this hairy old man suit. They'd never believe it was me.

"Now, you said you had to get here to see Miss Veil," Roslyn carried on, frown creasing very deeply into her forehead, "why exactly is that?"

"We err…" I bit my lip as I tried to think of what to say, "We needed to talk."

"Funny, it didn't seem like she recognised you."

My temper snapped. "Well maybe that's because I'm in disguise at the moment and I'm actually Draco Lucius Malfoy, first of his name, Head of Malfoy Industries and representative of the First Families-"

"Oh no, I don't think so Mister!" Roslyn yelled, her cockney accent flaring. "Why on earth would Draco Malfoy disguise himself as a stranger and then assault his own girlfriend in the middle of the Ministry of Magic, hmm?" She leaned forward, the scar on her cheek stretching as she scowled.

"-Chief Wilson!" Zabini hurried into the office holding a scroll of parchment. "I checked the activity logs. No Flo Powder or Portkey transports between Germany and England since last week."

Roslyn Wilson snatched the parchment from Zabini's hand, her eyes flitting over the words scratched on there with practised speed. "Especially seeing as its highly likely that Draco Malfoy is in Berlin right now, as we speak." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Who are you?"

"I already told you!" I shouted, anger making me grit my teeth. "I _am _Draco Malfoy and I got here by apparation-"

"-Why did you grab Miss Veil in the Atrium?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I can grab her wherever I want, she's _mine!"_

Roslyn scoffed cruelly and stood up from her chair. "Oh I know who you are. I see men like you all the time – thinking that you own a pretty girl just 'cause she's a famous public figure? Well, you've made a big mistake today. That just wasn't your basic ordinary well-known girl. That was Ryuu Veil – former General, veteran and Order of Merlin First Class – and I can tell you that she won't be too happy about all of this. And neither am I." She folded her arms over her chest. "It isn't the first time I've had to deal with dodgy stalkers like you."

I took a deep breath and stepped right up to the bars, curling my hands around them and staring down straight into Roslyn's unwavering eyes. "Listen to me, _very _carefully. I am going to give you one chance to release me from this cell this instant before I sue this Department for every last knut that its worth and tear it down brick by brick." I paused, but the horse woman didn't blink. "_I am_ Draco Malfoy. I left Berlin this morning and apparated my way cross-country to get here to see _my girlfriend_ Ryuu Veil. This face _isn't_ mine. But that wand _is._ And these words are too. I _swear_ to you that I am telling the truth."

A silence grew and intensified as it stretched out across the room and all there was to hear was the small desk clock, ticking away, mocking my imprisonment. Then Roslyn straightened up and replied tonelessly. "You look like a liar to me and I don't like being lied to. I will continue the investigation myself, but the fact is, you still directly assaulted Ryuu Veil as well as admitting to illegal use of apparation and currently being in disguise, which gives me the right to keep you detained here for as long as I see fit. And I can assure you, I am a very patient woman." She turned to Blaise. "Have that wand tested. I'm pretty sure the Weighers are breaking for late night shopping but they should be back soon. Also, call Zacharias Smith and tell him we have is coat in the _Lost & Found_ basket. The bloody idiot puts name tags on everything."

"Yes Ma'am," Zabini responded as I thudded my head against the iron bars and sighed.

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Roslyn was right; it was very uncomfortable in this cell, with stark wooden floors and nothing to lean on but iron bars, especially seeing as I was cold and still dripping wet. I sunk down to sit in the corner of the cage, nudging my toes against the ring secreted in my shoe. It was already six-thirty.

I could've told them I was under Polyjuice Potion, but I didn't want to get Reeah into trouble, especially seeing as how awkward that would be for Zabini. Besides, that would only send me swimming into even deeper shit, if Roslyn realised I had used Polyjuice Potion from the black market.

Looking back, I tried to decipher at which point exactly I had dropped half of my wits off a waterfall. _Polyjuice Potion? Really, Draco? _Even if all of this had worked out, how would I have changed back into myself? The potion had a time limit that couldn't be slowed down or sped up. What was my plan, to propose to Ryuu as a bearded middle aged stranger? Yeah, I'm sure she'd react beautifully to that. I tapped my fingertips on my kneecap impatiently, eyes fixed on the clock. Where was Clive? Surely he would've been able to track me down by now…

The door swung open and I expected it to be Roslyn back from her coffee break, but in swaggered the smug form of Zacharias Smith, yellow eyes flicking over to Roslyn's desk and resting on the _Lost & Found_ crate. Awkwardly, Smith stepped back and knocked rapidly on the doorframe. "Uh… Chief Wilson? I got your call and err," his gaze swivelled all the way around the messy room, "you're not here. Okay then."

"_Smith!" _I hissed, pushing myself forward so that my face was pressing in between the bars at the front of the cell.

He looked over at me and his stare narrowed. "Do I know you?"

I grimaced. "It's me, it's-" I sighed, knowing I was never going to live this down. _"-Draco Malfoy."_

Smith leered and adopted a sarcastic drone. "Right; and I'm Harry Potter. You probably didn't recognise me without my sexy glasses though."

My patience was grating dangerously thin. "I swear on my family Smith, if you indirectly hit on Potter in front of me one more time-"

"-Crap, it _is_ you isn't it? Geez, I thought you were supposed to be in Germany." Smith walked towards the cell, studying me with interest as his mouth split into a grin. He laughed lowly, as if fighting to hold himself together. "Hey Malfoy, want a face with that beard?"

I scowled and stood up, glad that I was taller than usual so I could glare down at him more effectively. "Let me out of here, _now."_

"What on earth are you even doing in there, and why do you look like Hagrid?"

"No time to explain Smith! _Just," _I took a deep breath to make my tone even, "get me out of this cage."

Smith leaned against the bars, smug face getting smugger as the small clock counted each second. Looking me up and down, he clicked his tongue and flicked black hair from his eyes. "How much are we talking?"

I repressed my rage with tightly sealed lips and balled fists. "I will give you one hundred galleons."

Smith mocked thoughtfulness before smirking again. "How about… one-fifty?"

"One twenty-five."

"Two hundred."

"One-ninety."

"You do realise you're not in much of a position to haggle Malfoy."

"Fine!" I threw up my hands and yelled, "Take five hundred for all I care!_ Just get me the hell out of here!"_

Smith raised an eyebrow and tapped his fingers against the bars. "Hmmm… five hundred galleons you say?" He drifted off in thought and I hung on his words, waiting, watching in anticipation. Then, Smith returned his yellow stare to me and smirked. "I don't care. Sorry Malfoy, but this is way too amusing for me. Ta-ta." He pushed himself back from the bars and strolled over to the _Lost & Found _box, retrieving his coat and slinging it over his shoulder.

"_SMITH_, I SWEAR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN FOR THIS!" I barked as he left, closing the door behind him.

As it slammed shut I heard voices from the hallway outside. "What the hell was that?" Roslyn snapped from behind the timber, "Did that prisoner say anything to you?"

"Yeah, actually he did say some things," Smith began, as I pounded angrily against my cell, "something about hog-monkeys and harpy piss; all a bunch of nonsense if you ask me." I could practically hear the smirk as Smith stage whispered, _"I think he's deranged."_

I began to devise a list of ways to kill Zacharias Smith.

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_Eaten alive by fire-crabs, Dementor's kiss – but that wouldn't exactly kill him would it? _Out of boredom, I removed one of my drenched gloves and wrung it out, but despite the water trickling out, the glove remained just as wet. Sighing, I sat up from where I'd been lying down on the cell floor, to see that the clock was now boasting twenty minutes past seven. In another ten minutes, Ryuu's meeting would be over, and half an hour after that Potter would propose to his ginger weasel. Was it possible that I could still find a way to propose to Ryuu in that small window of time? _Maybe…_but no, there was no way that was happening unless I got out of this damn cell. And with Roslyn's suspicions only sharpening over time, that didn't appear to be happening anytime soon.

Blaise had come rushing in fifteen minutes ago, reporting that the Weighers had returned and he'd given them my wand. Perhaps soon they'd get the truth and I'd be given another chance to vouch for myself. Although Zabini had said himself, when studying the other items from my pockets, that Draco Malfoy never went anywhere with only three knuts – that he always had at least two pouches full of galleons on him at all times. _Well,_ I'd been tempted to say, _why don't you ask your wife what happened to those? _But I'd held my tongue, especially when Roslyn had noticed the picture of Ryuu in my pocket-watch and cringed, giving me a long, hard glare. I could guess that with that look, my identity as a stalker had been verified.

I watched in annoyance as the second hand stuttered at twenty minutes and fifty-nine seconds past seven, holding its position a bit longer than usual and hesitantly clicking backwards. Biting down on my lip, I glared at the tiny clock and felt a sigh of relief begin to pass through my mouth as the second hand jittered and jumped forward to the top of the clock face, and the minute hand budged ever so slightly.

With a sudden wrenching boom, the heavy door to Roslyn's office surged open to reveal the impeccably dressed six foot two form of Clive, haloed by the dusky golden candlelight resonating from the hallway outside with a mustard yellow plastic bucket tucked under one arm and a dumbstruck and suntanned Colin Creevy numbly holding a camera with both hands tucked under the other. My personal assistant stood, reflective spectacles magically shifting up to the top of his nose so his clear blue gaze fixed on me. The nervous upper head of Dennis Creevy peeked out from behind Clive's right shoulder, his startled eyes matching that of his younger brother. I stood up, a relieved grin seeping across my chin. "Clive!" I said elatedly.

His face didn't waver and his tone gave nothing away as he responded, instantly and smoothly: "I apologise for being an hour and fifty six minutes late Sir; I was delayed."

"Clive," I gasped, leaning against the bars, "I have never been so glad to see you-"

"WHAT THE _HELL_ IS GOING ON?!" Roslyn erupted from the sidelines, clearing her desk and standing in front of my cage with her wand drawn.

"Well," Dennis began meekly, straightening to look Roslyn in the eye, "according to the attractive bald man, we have to release his master to fulfil his direct order and-"

"_Creevy?"_ Roslyn's voice was becoming increasingly high pitched, "What have _you_ got to do with all this?!"

Dennis rubbed his large hand over the back of his neck, cheeks going slightly pink, "Well, uh…"

"The results came back!" Zabini rushed through the doorway, holding my wand aloft and looking straight at his Chief. "The wand belongs to-" he stopped midsentence, blinked, and turned his head to survey the rest of the room, mouth forming in a perfect 'o'.

"-Mr Malfoy." Clive finished, dropping Colin to the ground with a bob of his knees. Colin awkwardly stepped a foot away to stand with his brother and watched open-mouthed as Clive spun on the spot and snatched my wand from Blaise's hand as easily as if he were picking a flower from fresh earth. Roslyn's elbow twitched but Clive had already disarmed her, and before her eyes had time to widen he'd muttered, _"Accio Key."_

The small key and chain broke off from around Roslyn's neck and zoomed straight into Clive's hand. He bent to fit the key into the bejewelled padlock. "I travelled to Hogsmeade and asked Mr Dennis where his brother was, and when I told him of my purpose he insisted on accompanying me to Cairo to retrieve Mr Colin. We returned to The Ministry, precisely nine minutes after I'd left you, only to hear of your arrest." Roslyn had stumbled backwards and was now rushing over to the far corner of the room where her wand had fallen behind a parchment bin. Blaise stared blankly. The key clicked and the gong-like boom radiated throughout the space. "Knowing that you were taken to the head Auror's office, where in resides a Constancy Gem Confinement Cell, we went to Gringotts bank and took a cart down to your vault."

I'd just stepped out from my jail just as Roslyn rounded on us once more, wand aimed high – but Clive raised the plastic bucket and poured a torrent of piercing cold water over my head. I snapped my eyes shut and coughed as some of the liquid poured into my mouth. "Water from the Thieves' Downfall," I heard Clive say blatantly before I opened my eyes to see that everyone in the room, save Clive, was looking at me in unconcealed shock. My assistant calmly placed the bucket at his feet before producing two small pouched from his coat pocket. "And I withdrew the usual Sir." Clive held them out to me in his pristine gloved hand.

Accepting the pouches of coin I held a trembling hand up to my drenched, but beardless face. _Yes, that's _my_ jaw, _my_ nose. _The water from the Thieves Downfall had washed away the Potion's magic. I had now returned to my normal height, at eye level with my assistant who stared back with utter disinterest. "Clive, you have succeeded above and beyond my highest expectations."

"Naturally, Sir." And I could've sworn I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

Zabini held up an uncertain finger to point at my chest, frowning in confusion. "B-boss?" he wheeled around to look at Roslyn. "Chief?"

Roslyn had one hand on her hip and the other resting on her forehead, her eyes closed. When she spoke, her tone was layered with exhaustion. "Just get out of my sight."

Clive turned and marched for the door and I swooped into step behind him, collecting my pocketwatch and money on the way out. "We don't have much time Sir, Miss Veil's meeting ends in five minutes. You need to propose before she has time to leave the auditorium and make it to the Atrium." As he spoke, Clive tossed my wand over his shoulder and I caught it, sliding it up my sleeve as I heard Dennis and Colin stumble along behind us.

As a unit, we paced down the corridor, my sopping socks squelching in my shoes and my pocket watch ticking in time with my heartbeat. _This is it. It's happening now. _Clive ploughed through a crowd of Aurors, shoving them aside and ignoring their startled complaints as we piled into the elevator. The floor trembled as we trundled down through the darkness, my limbs feeling like they weighed three tonnes each. _I'm going to propose. I'm going to propose to Ryuu right now._

I numbly flicked my hand through my hair in an attempt to make it look presentable. There was no point, it was drenched like the rest of me. _Oh Lord, what if she says no? What would happen? Would we break up right then and there? _I remembered that I had to breathe and hastily sucked in some air as the elevator came to a gasping halt and we charged out like foot soldiers in a siege. _I want to marry her, that's all I want. But what does she want? Dammit! _Gritting my teeth in worry, I nearly tripped as Clive suddenly turned a corner, leading us down a barren, darkened hallway. _She'll say yes, surely she'll say yes…_

We stopped, Dennis and Colin slamming straight into my back. The large black doors loomed down at me menacingly, the brass handles looking like mockery. I was breathing too heavily now, and I swallowed, trying to clear my head. I could just hear Ryuu's clear, crisp voice lilting through from the other side. _Oh no, no, no…_"Clive, time update!"

"Seven twenty seven p.m. Sir. It's time." His blank eyes blinked.

I chewed on my bottom lip, heart pounding for escape in my chest. "Clive, I'm not sure if I can-"

The next thing I knew, Clive had seized the back of my collar in one hand and kicked open the doors with a loud bang – and before I had time to register a reaction my assistant had shoved me through the doorway and into the auditorium.

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_Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit! _My eyes flashed around the room taking in the sheer amount of people seated in the audience, all now turning to face me with surprised expressions. My senses dulled so all I could hear was my own startled breathing and my mind screaming at me to say something, anything. I spied Ryuu standing spotlighted up on the stage, light blonde hair shining in the light and face frozen in a portrait of bewilderment. "Oh, there you are Ryuu…" Yes, there she was. Up on stage. In front of everyone. I was about to propose in front of everyone. _Oh Lord I'm going to look like an absolute idiot! C'mon, say something – now!_"Quick," I began desperately, "what do you think of this suit?"

The silence in the auditorium rang painfully and I wondered why my arms were aching, before realising I was holding them up. _Okay Draco, just don't panic. Get to Ryuu and ask to speak with her alone._ Yes, yes I could do that. Get to Ryuu.

I staggered forwards as mumbled murmurs began to echo around the crowd. The auditorium, was only a small one, but nearly every chair was filled, which made it difficult to manoeuvre through. Very aware of the rivulets of cold water seeping from my sleeves, I tried to be as agile as possible as I weaved through the chairs. "Excuse me, sorry about that Madam," I said as my drenched trouser leg accidently slid across her cheek and she gasped. Finally I'd tangled myself over the chair in the front row and I quickly hopped up the steps, acknowledging the audience's eyes on me and feeling a little giddy. _This is completely ridiculous. Oh Lord I'm going to propose. _Shunting the thought aside, I asked smoothly: "May I have a word?"

Ryuu's slack jaw quickly fastened itself into a gritted snarl of rage as her voice hissed out, eyes flaring. I didn't quite pick up what she was saying, mostly because her anger was making her a tad inarticulate and also because of the persistent ringing in my ears. But, she was indicating towards the audience, so I figured I probably needed to explain myself. _Oh right – people, yeah, people…_

I turned to face them and spoke as if hearing myself in a dream. "How rude of me. I am Draco Malfoy, owner of Malfoy Industries and representative of the First Families, and I was simply hoping for a brief word with Miss Veil here-"

"-Oh, curse you!" I didn't notice that Ryuu was storming towards me until she'd grabbed my wrist. Instantly, I twisted my hand so that my soggy gloved fingers laced through her own, and I thought absurdly: _Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy take Ryuu Advena Veil…?_ I suddenly realised that Ryuu's mouth was moving again and hurriedly tuned back into reality just as she finished talking, "And _why _are you so wet?!"

I smirked and prattled off some smart-assed answer without really thinking about it, extremely distracted by how perfect she looked today. Simple but sophisticated in her black skirt and white blouse, her hair coiled back professionally, with a few blonde curls still framing her face, which although tensed in pent-up aggression was still beautiful…

I smiled and rubbed my thumb over her palm, seeing how worked up she was, but still feeling elated. _Yes, I can do this_. "Easy now Princess-"

"-Do _not_ call me that!" she shrieked, and began again on her tirade, her tone lowering threateningly. _So cute when she's angry. _I felt a smirk twitching at my mouth as I watched her cheeks flush. _Easy, this easy. Of course she'll say yes. Look how angry she is – she loves me. _"…just have to _barge_ in here, _unexplained-"_

"Marry me." My heart faltered as the words slipped from my tongue unbidden and without permission from my brain. _Wait, what? Did I just say that? Yes I did. _Well. Okay then. There. That pretty much covered it. For a few seconds, I wondered if I'd only whispered because Ryuu continued yelling until-

-she stopped, stricken. Pale skin bleaching a further shade of pale and emerald eyes deepening. The creases of white hot range that had wrung across her face disappeared, her expression turning suddenly smooth and uncomprehending. _"What?"_her pink lips slackened.

I smiled, tightening my hold on her hand. I'd done it. All this time I'd been worried about how I could possibly phrase myself – how I could infer enough meaning into my proposal so that Ryuu would know what she meant to me. But that was bullshit. All I'd needed were those two words to seal the deal. Nothing fancy or extravagant. Just a statement of fact. Ryuu and I were a fact. "Marry me." I repeated.

Ryuu's face flickered like a bipolar candle as she took a few seconds to process what I'd just said. I watched her eyes intently, and smiled because I knew they always betrayed her. The deep green of her iris had softened. She stuttered again and I replied easily, knowing that I needed to snap her awake with a small injection of mockery. "Do you have no perception of patience? Another thirty seconds and I would've been down on one knee and everything."

I suppressed the urge to laugh as Ryuu adorably blinked and worded her shock for a few seconds more and leaned closer, preparing myself to ask the big question. "Am I going to get an answer?" A second after I'd finished speaking, inexplicably, a pinch of uncertainty flicked at the back of my neck.

But then Ryuu looked at me as if I was the biggest fool on the planet, and it was gone. I never heard what she said, but her tone was one of impatience and annoyance, so I knew it was a yes. Heart lifting, and then fiancé lifting, into my arms, into my embrace, lips at mine, her fingers tracing the back of my neck, my hands wrapping around her waist, her smell of vanilla, my sodden eyelashes brushing against hers – yes. I'd done it. It was us now. I'd actually done it-

_Oh fuck, the ring!_

Ryuu carefully pulled herself away and turned to the gaping audience, as I stood stock still. _THE RING YOU IDIOT!_As Ryuu's soothing voice apologised to the onlookers I hastily lifted my foot up and tugged my shoe off. The Nile poured out from my shoe and onto the stage as I turned it upside down, catching the slippery snake ring with my left hand. "I can assure you that you won't regret it…" Ryuu finished and I looked up at the aghast expressions of the crowd with a shoe in one hand and a ring in the other.

A horrible silence thickened and curdled before-

"_Woooohoooo!_ Yeah!" Solitary applause erupted from the far right of the front row, and Weasley stood up from his chair, face red from laughing and a devilish grin wreathing his lips.

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Ryuu

The Minister and Parcium managed to wish me hesitant congratulations as Draco hastily guided me through the crowd of leaving workers, a few of which cast amused glances my way or even wished the both of us good health as we passed. _They probably mean mental health._

"Draco, where are we going?" I asked, unable to stop smiling at the craziness of it all. Here I was, see-through bloused, being shunted around through an amorphous of co-workers by my drenched fiancé.

_My drenched fiancé. _

"I know, I'm sorry this is all happening so fast," Draco turned to face me and grinned at the look on my face, "but I had to see you. I had to propose _now."_

_Well that's super romantic. _I allowed myself a little mental girly swoon at that. Frowning, I flicked my wand into my hand and began to dry Draco off with hot gusts of air. "But you were in Berlin on that conference…"

"Yeah." He stepped closer to let a portly man called Higgins pass by. I put more juice into the Drying Charm and managed to get Draco's hair fixed, but the suit was nearly completely soaked. "I was," he continued, "and I was planning on proposing twenty four days from now, but then something came up and I had to do it today."

A pin-prick of worry. "What do you mean, something came up?" I felt my eyes widen. "What happened?

Draco must've seen the concern in my eyes because he stopped and looked at me, face softening. "Nothing like that," he said quickly and hesitated for a fraction of a second, nibbling his lip before continuing. "I got a letter from Potter. He's proposing to Ginny tonight, so I knew I had to ask you first."

_Huh. _I glared up at Draco, and he seemed to retract into himself ever so slightly. _"So…"_I began, delicately taking a step closer, my mouth sealed shut in a tight, merciless line. "…you're telling me, that the reason you asked to spend the rest of your life with me today, in front of all of my co-workers, was so that you could have a one-up on Harry?" My tone was like a poised whip.

Draco stared at me. Opened his mouth, then shut it again, slowly.

The pause continued and I let it drag out for a tediously long time before my mouth slid into a smirk and I pushed myself up onto the tips of my toes so I could whisper in his ear. "We totally won."

Draco's relieved laughter fluttered against my neck as he placed his hands on my waist and softly pushed me back down to earth. "Not quite yet we haven't. We still have the final step." His hand squeezed mine and he pulled me out the door.

Clive, my fiancé's business shadow, was waiting for us in the corridor outside along with, to my complete surprise, Dennis. Clive lowered his head in a solemn nod towards me and spoke in his deep, disinterested voice. "You look well, Miss Veil."

"Err, thanks." I replied vaguely, glancing into his blank spectacled eyes, and noticing, a little uncomfortably, how effectively he towered over me. I just didn't get this guy. Turning my attention to Dennis, I grinned. "Hey Den, I'm engaged!"

His concerned face split into a wide smile as he came forward and embraced me. "That's great Ryuu – so that's what all of this was about!"

"Yes, yes, yes, we can all do this later." Draco interrupted and I unfolded myself from Dennis's strong arms. "But right now,_ I_ have to talk to Colin and _you_ have to get Jonah-"

"Jonah? But why do I…" Draco ignored me and slid a ring on my finger. My ring. The dragonstone ring. I stared down at the silver serpent coiling around my ring finger and connected the dots. "Hold on," I stared up at him, aghast registering that he was completely soaked. _My drenched fiancé. _I gasped. "Oh my gosh, _you_ were the bearded man! The one that bumped me in the Atrium – Draco, what the hell?!"

Draco cupped my cheek and spoke in a very sincere tone. "It was the only way."

I was just about to scoff at him for being so stupid, when a small sound came from our left and we both turned to see the weedy frame of Colin Creevy standing there, holding an oversized camera. He smiled sheepishly. "So, uh…"

"Yes!' Draco snapped bolt upright and dragged me forwards by the hand. "Yes," he turned to me and smirked, "I swear I'll explain everything in a few seconds but right now – there's something we have to do."

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A/N: So, that's how it all happened! Clive, although saint-like to Draco, is kind of a disturbing character to everyone else. Stay tuned, because to quote Starkid – it's not over yet. ;)


	4. Epilogue - Prats

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter'.

A/N: Hello again, sorry for the delay! Here is the last chapter of No Time But Now – which frankly I had a lot of fun writing, and I hope you enjoyed reading. I thought this chapter was going to be challenging to compose (it's from Harry's perspective) but I actually wrote this one the fastest, so… I hope I managed to pull a Gryffindor perspective off for you guys!

BETA: Reeah Noseworthy.

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Epilogue– Prats

Harry Potter licked his palm and tried desperately to flatten the worst region of his hair. The distorted reflection provided by the back of the desert spoon hadn't exactly boosted his confidence, the curve of the silver exaggerating the messiness of his jet black mop to what he hoped were unrealistic proportions. Giving up on his hair, Harry returned the dessert spoon to the table and nervously straightened his bowtie, releasing a held-in breath. This is it. The night he'd been planning for weeks. The dinner had been perfect, the champagne was exactly the one he'd requested, Ginny had just ducked into the bathroom and the dessert would be here any minute.

On this night, five years ago, Harry and Ginny had had their first kiss. He remembered that night well, the moment he decided that he wasn't going to lose anyone else in his life; not if he had anything to say about it. And tonight, five years on, he and Ginny were still together. And hopefully, depending on what happened in the next few minutes, they were going to stay that way.

It was easy to hear the light squeak of the bathroom door opening in _Tranquilatis Restaurant_, because it was completely silent. And even more quiet than usual, Harry had made sure that Jonah kept this night on limited bookings; the last thing Harry wanted was for some reporter or something to come rushing up and asking questions. The only other people here were a docile family with a teenage daughter and young boy up the back, a middle-aged couple in the corner reading their menus, and two women eating quietly a few tables across from them.

Ginny gracefully sat down in her chair, looking lovely in her navy blue evening dress. Harry gulped as he looked into her face, suddenly feeling like he was made entirely of rubber. "Hey babe, could you pass me my shawl? It's a bit chilly in here…" Ginny asked casually.

For a second, Harry just blinked stupidly, before his girlfriend raised an eyebrow and he clicked back into consciousness. "Oh right, yeah – shawl…" Hurriedly, he fished around in the pocket of his coat that hung off the back of his chair and produced the maroon fabric.

"Thanks," Ginny replied when he handed it to her. She draped it over her shoulders and flicked her long red hair around her neck, looking up with concern when she felt Harry's eyes on her. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." _Just about to propose to you, possible future-wife of mine. Calm down, idiot. _Harry knew he was stupid for feeling anxious. He and Ginny had talked about marriage a lot and had both said it was something they wanted to commit to. So why worry? This was going to happen. Everything was going to work out fine. For God's sake if he could defeat Voldemort he could ask Ginny to marry him.

A mute waitress shifted up to the table with a covered silver platter, the word: _Dessert _engraved on the side in beautiful lettering. "Thank you," Harry said to her as she walked away. Ginny's absolute favourite food was chocolate cake, so Harry had arranged for the ring to be sitting in the box right next to the slice. He stared down at the platter and took a quick breath.

"Oooh, great let's dig in." Ginny whispered with a grin, but Harry slid his hand over hers and cleared his throat.

"Uh, first could I just say something?"

Ginny's left eyebrow raised slightly. "Sure."

He paused for a moment, looking into her sultana brown eyes. "Okay, here goes. Err…" he breathed a laugh and Ginny smirked, stroking his hand in encouragement.

"Well," Harry began shunting away the nerves, "I love you. I can't imagine what kind of person I'd be without you, and frankly I don't ever want to be without you." He felt himself flushing, but soldiered on. "You're the most important thing in my life. I feel safe with you. You're my family – you always have been."

Ginny's smirk hadn't moved. "Go on."

"I love you and I want to be with you. We can start our own family, our own life…" Harry drifted off, staring at her.

She waited for a few more seconds before saying: "Yeah, and?"

"Well you're not making this very easy for me," Harry said as Ginny giggled. "Just, shh for a second okay?" He smiled as she stopped herself from laughing and squeezed her hand tighter.

"So as I was saying, well, as I was getting to saying…" his hand lifted to the lid of the silver platter. "I mean, what I was trying to ask, um, what I've been wanting to ask for a while really-"

"-Oh just say it already!" Ginny interrupted, beaming.

Harry looked at her, grinning. "Ginny Weasley." He lifted the lid slightly off the platter so that only he could see inside. "Will you-"

The words died in his mouth as he glanced down at the contents of the platter, and Harry felt his heart stop. Lying inside was a glossy photograph of Malfoy and Ryuu, sneering up at him and bursting into fits of silent laughter as Ryuu raised her hand and pointed to the serpent ring on her finger, triumphantly. In the background of the photo stood a tall well-dressed man looking straight into Harry's eyes with a look of the upmost boredom, and next to him was Denis Creevy, smiling sheepishly and waving slowly. Attached to the photo was a small strip of parchment, a note written in a hand he recognised all too well.

We're engaged! SUCK IT POTTER!

"-We have to go, now." Harry said urgently, letting the cover fall shut with a loud _CLANG._

"Yes, of course I will – wait, _what?"_ Ginny replied, eyebrows furrowing as she watched her boyfriend spring up from his seat. "Why?"

"Nothing," Harry's green eyes searched every corner of the room for a peephole or a hidden camera. He tugged on Ginny's arm to get her standing. "We just have to leave, c'mon."

As Harry and Ginny fled the restaurant, the middle-aged couple reading their menus couldn't contain themselves any longer. The menus dropped and the bearded man and the red headed woman with a beehive hairdo and a button nose cackled hysterically, tears creeping out the corners of their eyes from the last half hour spent giggling silently into their napkins.

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A/N: Man, the Malfoys are evil.

Thank you all for reading, No Time But Now: (Featuring Clive) – I knew the sequel was going to take a while, so I hope this kept you all amused in the meantime.

So long for now. ;)

J . Noseworthy.


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